Though several etymologies have been suggested for the name Karnataka, the generally accepted one is that Karnataka is derived from the Kannada words karu and nādu, meaning "elevated land". Karu nadu may also be read as karu, meaning "black", and nadu, meaning "region", as a reference to the black cotton soil found in the Bayalu Seeme region of the state. The British used the word Carnatic, sometimes Karnatak, to describe both sides of peninsular India, south of the Krishna.[11]

With an antiquity that dates to the paleolithic, Karnataka has been home to some of the most powerful empires of ancient and medieval India. The philosophers and musical bards patronised by these empires launched socio-religious and literary movements which have endured to the present day. Karnataka has contributed significantly to both forms of Indian classical music, the Carnatic and Hindustani traditions.

Karnataka's pre-history goes back to a paleolithic hand-axe culture evidenced by discoveries of, among other things, hand axes and cleavers in the region.[12] Evidence of neolithic and megalithic cultures have also been found in the state. Gold discovered in Harappa was found to be imported from mines in Karnataka, prompting scholars to hypothesise about contacts between ancient Karnataka and the Indus Valley Civilisation ca. 3300 BCE.[13][14]

At the turn of the first millennium, the Hoysalas gained power in the region. Literature flourished during this time, which led to the emergence of distinctive Kannada literary metres, and the construction of temples and sculptures adhering to the Vesara style of architecture.[30][31][32][33] The expansion of the Hoysala Empire brought minor parts of modern Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu under its rule. In the early 14th century, Harihara and Bukka Raya established the Vijayanagara empire with its capital, Hosapattana (later named Vijayanagara), on the banks of the Tungabhadra River in the modern Bellary district. The empire rose as a bulwark against Muslim advances into South India, which it completely controlled for over two centuries.[34][35]

In the period that followed, parts of northern Karnataka were ruled by the Nizam of Hyderabad, the Maratha Empire, the British, and other powers.[42] In the south, the Mysore Kingdom, a former vassal of the Vijayanagara Empire, was briefly independent.[43] With the death of Krishnaraja Wodeyar II, Haidar Ali, the commander-in-chief of the Mysore army, gained control of the region. After his death, the kingdom was inherited by his son Tipu Sultan.[44] To contain European expansion in South India, Haidar Ali and later Tipu Sultan fought four significant Anglo-Mysore Wars, the last of which resulted in Tippu Sultan's death and the incorporation of Mysore into the British Raj in 1799.[45] The Kingdom of Mysore was restored to the Wodeyars and Mysore remained a princely state under the British Raj.

Chief Minister Dr. Devaraj Urs announcing the new name of the Mysore state as 'Karnataka'

After India's independence, the Maharaja, Jayachamarajendra Wodeyar, allowed his kingdom's accession to India. In 1950, Mysore became an Indian state of the same name; the former Maharaja served as its Rajpramukh (head of state) until 1975. Following the long-standing demand of the Ekikarana Movement, Kodagu- and Kannada-speaking regions from the adjoining states of Madras, Hyderabad and Bombay were incorporated into the Mysore state, under the States Reorganisation Act of 1956. The thus expanded state was renamed Karnataka, seventeen years later, in 1973.[48] In the early 1900s through the post-independence era, industrial visionaries such as Sir Mokshagundam Visvesvarayya, born in Muddenahalli, Chikballapur district, played an important role in the development of Karnataka's strong manufacturing and industrial base.

Karnataka consists of four main types of geological formations[50] — the Archean complex made up of Dharwadschists and granitic gneisses, the Proterozoic non-fossiliferous sedimentary formations of the Kaladgi and Bhima series, the Deccan trappean and intertrappean deposits and the tertiary and recent laterites and alluvial deposits. Significantly, about 60% of the state is composed of the Archean complex which consist of gneisses, granites and charnockite rocks. Laterite cappings that are found in many districts over the Deccan Traps were formed after the cessation of volcanic activity in the early tertiary period. Eleven groups of soil orders are found in Karnataka, viz. Entisols, Inceptisols, Mollisols, Spodosols, Alfisols, Ultisols, Oxisols, Aridisols, Vertisols, Andisols and Histosols.[50] Depending on the agricultural capability of the soil, the soil types are divided into six types, viz. red, lateritic, black, alluvio-colluvial, forest and coastal soils.

Karnataka experiences four seasons. The winter in January and February is followed by summer between March and May, the monsoon season between June and September and the post-monsoon season from October till December. Meteorologically, Karnataka is divided into three zones — coastal, north interior and south interior. Of these, the coastal zone receives the heaviest rainfall with an average rainfall of about 3,638.5 mm (143 in) per annum, far in excess of the state average of 1,139 mm (45 in). Agumbe in the Shivamogga district receives the second highest annual rainfall in India.[51] The highest recorded temperature was 45.6 °C (114 °F) at Raichur and the lowest recorded temperature was 2.8 °C (37 °F) at Bidar.

About 38,724 km2 (14,951 sq mi) of Karnataka (i.e. 20% of the state's geographic area) is covered by forests. The forests are classified as reserved, protected, unclosed, village and private forests. The percentage of forested area is slightly less than the all-India average of about 23%, and significantly less than the 33% prescribed in the National Forest Policy.[52]

Each district is governed by a district commissioner or district magistrate. The districts are further divided into sub-divisions, which are governed by sub-divisional magistrates; sub-divisions comprise blocks containing panchayats (village councils) and town municipalities.

According to the 2011 census of India,[55] the total population of Karnataka was 61,095,297 of which 30,966,657 (50.7%) were male and 30,128,640 (49.3%) were female, or 1000 males for every 973 females. This represents a 15.60% increase over the population in 2001. The population density was 319 per km2 and 38.67% of the people lived in urban areas. The literacy rate was 75.36% with 82.47% of males and 68.08% of females being literate. 84.00% of the population were Hindu, 12.92% were Muslim, 1.87% were Christian, 0.72% were Jains, 0.16% were Buddhist, 0.05% were Sikh and 0.02% were belonging to other religions and 0.27% of the population did not state their religion.[56]

Kannada is the official language of Karnataka and spoken as a native language by about 66.26% of the people as of 2001. Other linguistic minorities in the state were Urdu (10.54%), Telugu (7.03%), Tamil (3.57%), Marathi (3.6%), Tulu (3.0%), Hindi (2.56%), Konkani (1.46%), Malayalam (1.33%) and Kodava Takk (0.3%).[57] In 2007 the state had a birth rate of 2.2%, a death rate of 0.7%, an infant mortality rate of 5.5% and a maternal mortality rate of 0.2%. The total fertility rate was 2.2.[58]

In the field of speciality health care, Karnataka's private sector competes with the best in the world.[59] Karnataka has also established a modicum of public health services having a better record of health care and child care than most other states of India. In spite of these advances, some parts of the state still leave much to be desired when it comes to primary health care.[60]

Karnataka has a parliamentary system of government with two democratically elected houses, the Legislative Assembly and the Legislative Council. The Legislative Assembly consists of 224 members who are elected for five-year terms.[61] The Legislative Council is a permanent body of 75 members with one-third (25 members) retiring every two years.[61]

The government of Karnataka is headed by the Chief Minister who is chosen by the ruling party members of the Legislative Assembly. The Chief Minister, along with the council of ministers, executes the legislative agenda and exercises most of the executive powers.[62] However, the constitutional and formal head of the state is the Governor who is appointed for a five-year term by the President of India on the advice of the Union government.[63] The people of Karnataka also elect 28 members to the Lok Sabha, the lower house of the Indian Parliament.[64] The members of the state Legislative Assembly elect 12 members to the Rajya Sabha, the upper house of the Indian Parliament.

For administrative purposes, Karnataka has been divided into four revenue divisions, 49 sub-divisions, 30 districts, 175 taluks and 745 hoblies / revenue circles.[65] The administration in each district is headed by a Deputy Commissioner who belongs to the Indian Administrative Service and is assisted by a number of officers belonging to Karnataka state services. The Deputy Commissioner of Police, an officer belonging to the Indian Police Service and assisted by the officers of the Karnataka Police Service, is entrusted with the responsibility of maintaining law and order and related issues in each district. The Deputy Conservator of Forests, an officer belonging to the Indian Forest Service, is entrusted with the responsibility of managing forests, environment and wildlife of the district, he will be assisted by the officers belonging to Karnataka Forest Service and officers belonging to Karnataka Forest Subordinate Service. Sectoral development in the districts is looked after by the district head of each development department such as Public Works Department, Health, Education, Agriculture, Animal Husbandry, etc. The judiciary in the state consists of the Karnataka High Court (Attara Kacheri) in Bangalore, district and session courts in each district and lower courts and judges at the taluk level.

Karnataka had an estimated GSDP (Gross State Domestic Product) of about US$115.86 billion in the 2014–15 fiscal year.[70] The state registered a GSDP growth rate of 7% for the year 2014–2015.[71] Karnataka's contribution to India's GDP in the year 2014–15 was 7.54%.[70] With GDP growth of 17.59% and per capita GDP growth of 16.04%, Karnataka is on the 6th position among all states and union territories.[72][73] In an employment survey conducted for the year 2013–2014, the unemployment rate in Karnataka was 1.8% compared to the national rate of 4.9%.[74]
In 2011–2012, Karnataka had an estimated poverty ratio of 20.91% compared to the national ratio of 21.92%.[75]

Nearly 56% of the workforce in Karnataka is engaged in agriculture and related activities.[76] A total of 12.31 million hectares of land, or 64.6% of the state's total area, is cultivated.[77] Much of the agricultural output is dependent on the southwest monsoon as only 26.5% of the sown area is irrigated.[77]

The state has also begun to invest heavily in solar power centred on the Pavagada Solar Park. As of December 2017, the state has installed an estimated 2.2 gigwatts of block solar panelling and in January 2018 announced a tender to generate a further 1.2 gigawatts in the coming years: Karnataka Renewable Energy Development suggests that this will be based on 24 separate systems (or 'blocks') generating 50 megawatts each.[78]

Contribution to economy by sector

Since the 1980s, Karnataka has emerged as the pan-Indian leader in the field of IT (information technology). In 2007, there were nearly 2,000 firms operating in Karnataka. Many of them, including two of India's biggest software firms, Infosys and Wipro, are also headquartered in the state.[79] Exports from these firms exceeded ₹50,000 crores ($12.5 billion) in 2006–07, accounting for nearly 38% of all IT exports from India.[79] The Nandi Hills area in the outskirts of Devanahalli is the site of the upcoming $22 billion, 50 square kilometre BIAL IT Investment Region, one of the largest infrastructure projects in the history of Karnataka.[80] All this has earned the state capital, Bangalore, the sobriquet Silicon Valley of India.[81]

Karnataka also leads the nation in biotechnology. It is home to India's largest biocluster, with 158 of the country's 320 biotechnology firms being based here.[82] The state accounts for 75% of India's floriculture, an upcoming industry which supplies flowers and ornamental plants worldwide.[83]

Karnataka has a railway network with a total length of approximately 3,089 kilometres (1,919 mi). Until the creation of the South Western Zone headquartered at Hubli in 2003, the railway network in the state was in the Southern and Western railway zones. Several parts of the state now come under the South Western Zone, with the remainder under the Southern Railways. Coastal Karnataka is covered under the Konkan railway network which was considered India's biggest railway project of the century.[90] Bangalore is well-connected with inter-state destinations, while other towns in the state are not.[91]

Karnataka has 11 ports, including the New Mangalore Port, a major port and ten minor ports, of which three were operational in 2012.[92] The New Mangalore port was incorporated as the ninth major port in India on 4 May 1974.[93] This port handled 32.04 million tonnes of traffic in the fiscal year 2006–07 with 17.92 million tonnes of imports and 14.12 million tonnes of exports. The port also handled 1015 vessels including 18 cruise vessels during the year 2006–07. Foreigners can enter Mangalore through the New Mangalore Port with the help of Electronic visa (e-visa).[94]Cruise ships from Europe, North America and UAE arrive at New Mangalore Port to visit the tourist places across Coastal Karnataka.[95][96]

The total lengths of National Highways and state highways in Karnataka are 3,973 and 9,829 kilometres (2,469 and 6,107 mi), respectively. The KSRTC, the state public transport corporation, transports an average of 2.2 million passengers daily and employs about 25,000 people.[97] In the late nineties, KSRTC was split into four corporations, viz., The Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation, The North-East Karnataka Road Transport Corporation and The North-West Karnataka Road Transport Corporation with their headquarters in Bangalore, Gulbarga and Hubli respectively, and with the remnant of the KSRTC maintaining operations in the rest of the state from its headquarters in Bangalore.[97]

Gamaka is another classical musicgenre based on Carnatic music that is practised in Karnataka. Kannada Bhavageete is a genre of popular music that draws inspiration from the expressionist poetry of modern poets. The Mysore school of painting has produced painters like Sundarayya, Tanjavur Kondayya, B. Venkatappa and Keshavayya.[102]Chitrakala Parishat is an organisation in Karnataka dedicated to promoting painting, mainly in the Mysore painting style.

Saree is the traditional dress of women in Karnataka. Women in Kodagu have a distinct style of wearing the saree, different from the rest of Karnataka. Dhoti, known as Panche in Karnataka, is the traditional attire of men. Shirt, Trousers and Salwar kameez are widely worn in Urban areas. Mysore Peta is the traditional headgear of southern Karnataka, while the pagadi or pataga (similar to the Rajasthani turban) is preferred in the northern areas of the state.

Adi Shankaracharya (788–820) chose Sringeri in Karnataka to establish the first of his four mathas (monastery). Madhvacharya (1238–1317) was the chief proponent of Tattvavada (Philosophy of Reality), popularly known as Dvaita or Dualistic school of Hindu philosophy — one of the three most influential Vedanta philosophies. Madhvacharya was one of the important philosophers during the Bhakti movement. He was a pioneer in many ways, going against standard conventions and norms. According to tradition, Madhvacharya is believed to be the third incarnation of Vayu (Mukhyaprana), after Hanuman and Bhima. The Haridasa devotional movement is considered as one of the turning points in the cultural history of India. Over a span of nearly six centuries, several saints and mystics helped shape the culture, philosophy and art of South India and Karnataka in particular by exerting considerable spiritual influence over the masses and kingdoms that ruled South India.

This movement was ushered in by the Haridasas (literally "servants of Lord Hari") and took shape in the 13th century – 14th century CE, period, prior to and during the early rule of the Vijayanagara empire. The main objective of this movement was to propagate the Dvaita philosophy of Madhvacharya (Madhva Siddhanta) to the masses through a literary medium known as Dasa Sahitya literature of the servants of the Lord. Purandaradasa is widely recognised as the "Pithamaha" of Carnatic Music for his immense contribution. Ramanujacharya, the leading expounder of Vishishtadvaita, spent many years in Melkote. He came to Karnataka in 1098 AD and lived here until 1122 AD. He first lived in Tondanur and then moved to Melkote where the Cheluvanarayana Swamy Temple and a well-organised matha were built. He was patronised by the Hoysala king, Vishnuvardhana.[104]

In the twelfth century, Lingayatism emerged in northern Karnataka as a protest against the rigidity of the prevailing social and caste system. Leading figures of this movement were Basava, Akka Mahadevi and Allama Prabhu, who established the Anubhava Mantapa which was the centre of all religious and philosophical thoughts and discussions pertaining to Ligayats. These three social reformers did so by the literary means of "Vachana Sahitya" which is very famous for its simple, straight forward and easily understandable Kannada language. Lingayatism preached women equality by letting women wear Ishtalinga i.e. Symbol of god around their neck. Basava shunned the sharp hierarchical divisions that existed and sought to remove all distinctions between the hierarchically superior master class and the subordinate, servile class. He also supported inter-caste marriages and Kaayaka Tatva of Basavanna. This was the basis of the Lingayat faith which today counts millions among its followers.[105]

The Jain philosophy and literature have contributed immensely to the religious and cultural landscape of Karnataka. Islam, which had an early presence on the west coast of India as early as the tenth century, gained a foothold in Karnataka with the rise of the Bahamani and Bijapur sultanates that ruled parts of Karnataka.[106]Christianity reached Karnataka in the sixteenth century with the arrival of the Portuguese and St. Francis Xavier in 1545.[107]

Kannada features a rich and ancient body of literature including religious and secular genre, covering topics as diverse as Jainism (such as Puranas), Veerashaivism (such as Vachanas), Vaishnavism (such as Haridasa Sahitya) and modern literature. Evidence from edicts during the time of Ashoka (reigned 274–232 BCE) suggest that Buddhist literature influenced the Kannada script and its literature. The Halmidi inscription, the earliest attested full-length inscription in the Kannada language and script, dates from 450 CE, while the earliest available literary work, the Kavirajamarga, has been dated to 850 CE. References made in the Kavirajamarga, however, prove that Kannada literature flourished in the native composition meters such as Chattana, Beddande and Melvadu during earlier centuries. The classic refers to several earlier greats (purvacharyar) of Kannada poetry and prose.[114]

Tulu is spoken mainly in the coastal districts of Udupi and Dakshina Kannada. Tulu Mahabharato, written by Arunabja in the Tigalari script, is the oldest surviving Tulu text.[116] Tigalari script was used by Brahmins to write Sanskrit language. The use of the Kannada script for writing Tulu and non-availability of print in Tigalari script contributed to the marginalisation of Tigalari script. Konkani is mostly spoken in the Uttara Kannada and Dakshina Kannada districts and in parts of Udupi, Konkani use the Kannada script for writing.[117] The Kodavas who mainly reside in the Kodagu district, speak Kodava Takk. Two regional variations of the language exist, the northern Mendale Takka and the southern Kiggaati Takka.[118] Kodava Takk use the Kannada script for writing. English is the medium of education in many schools and widely used for business communication in most private companies.

All of the state's languages are patronised and promoted by governmental and quasi-governmental bodies. The Kannada Sahitya Parishat and the Kannada Sahitya Akademi are responsible for the promotion of Kannada while the Karnataka Konkani Sahitya Akademi,[119] the Tulu Sahitya Akademi and the Kodava Sahitya Akademi promote their respective languages.

In March 2006, Karnataka had 54,529 primary schools with 252,875 teachers and 8.495 million students,[121] and 9498 secondary schools with 92,287 teachers and 1.384 million students.[121] There are three kinds of schools in the state, viz., government-run, private aided (financial aid is provided by the government) and private unaided (no financial aid is provided). The primary languages of instruction in most schools are Kannada and English.

Karnataka occupies a special place in the history of Indian radio. In 1935, Aakashvani, the first private radio station in India, was started by Prof. M.V. Gopalaswamy in Mysore.[131] The popular radio station was taken over by the local municipality and later by All India Radio (AIR) and moved to Bangalore in 1955. Later in 1957, AIR adopted the original name of the radio station, Aakashavani as its own. Some of the popular programs aired by AIR Bangalore included Nisarga Sampada and Sasya Sanjeevini which were programs that taught science through songs, plays and stories. These two programs became so popular that they were translated and broadcast in 18 different languages and the entire series was recorded on cassettes by the Government of Karnataka and distributed to thousands of schools across the state.[131] Karnataka has witnessed a growth in FM radio channels, mainly in the cities of Bangalore, Mangalore and Mysore, which has become hugely popular.[132][133]

Anil Kumble, former captain of the Indian Test team and spin legend, is the highest wicket-taker for India in international cricket.

Karnataka's smallest district, Kodagu, is a major contributor to Indian field hockey, producing numerous players who have represented India at the international level.[134] The annual Kodava Hockey Festival is the largest hockey tournament in the world.[135]Bangalore has hosted a WTAtennis event and, in 1997, it hosted the fourth National Games of India.[136] The Sports Authority of India, the premier sports institute in the country, and the Nike Tennis Academy are also situated in Bangalore. Karnataka has been referred to as the cradle of Indian swimming because of its high standards in comparison to other states.

Bijapur district has produced some of the best known road cyclists in the national circuit. Premalata Sureban was part of the Indian contingent at the Perlis Open '99 in Malaysia. In recognition of the talent of cyclists in the district, the state government laid down a cycling track at the B.R. Ambedkar Stadium at a cost of ₹ 40 lakh.[142]

Karnataka has a rich diversity of flora and fauna. It has a recorded forest area of 38,720 km2 (14,950 sq mi) which constitutes 20.19% of the total geographical area of the state. These forests support 25% of the elephant and 10% of the tiger population of India. Many regions of Karnataka are as yet unexplored, so new species of flora and fauna are found periodically. The Western Ghats, a biodiversity hotspot, includes the western region of Karnataka. Two sub-clusters in the Western Ghats, viz. Talacauvery and Kudremukh, both in Karnataka, are on the tentative list of World Heritage Sites of UNESCO.[143] The Bandipur and Nagarahole National Parks, which fall outside these subclusters, were included in the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve in 1986, a UNESCO designation.[144] The Indian roller and the Indian elephant are recognised as the state bird and animal while sandalwood and the lotus are recognised as the state tree and flower respectively. Karnataka has five national parks: Anshi, Bandipur, Bannerghatta, Kudremukh and Nagarhole.[145] It also has 27 wildlife sanctuaries of which seven are bird sanctuaries.[146]

By virtue of its varied geography and long history, Karnataka hosts numerous spots of interest for tourists. There is an array of ancient sculptured temples, modern cities, scenic hill ranges, forests and beaches. Karnataka has been ranked as the fourth most popular destination for tourism among the states of India.[147] Karnataka has the second highest number of nationally protected monuments in India, second only to Uttar Pradesh,[148] in addition to 752 monuments protected by the State Directorate of Archaeology and Museums. Another 25,000 monuments are yet to receive protection.[149][150]

Recently Karnataka has emerged as a center of health care tourism. Karnataka has the highest number of approved health systems and alternative therapies in India. Along with some ISO certified government-owned hospitals, private institutions which provide international-quality services have caused the health care industry to grow by 30% during 2004–05. Hospitals in Karnataka treat around 8,000 health tourists every year.[154]

^See Lord Macaulay's life of Clive and James Talboys Wheeler: Early History of British India, London (1878) p.98. The principal meaning is the western half of this area, but the rulers there controlled the Coromandel Coast as well.

^Paddayya, K.; et al. (10 September 2002). "Recent findings on the Acheulian of the Hunsgi and Baichbal valleys, Karnataka, with special reference to the Isampur excavation and its dating". Current Science. 83 (5): 641–648.

^"The Head of the State is called the Governor who is the constitutional head of the state as the President is for the whole of India", Pylee, M. V. 2003. Constitutional government in India. New Delhi: S. Chand & Co, p. 357.

^ abNamed by Na. Kasturi, a popular Kannada writer Deepa Ganesh (9 March 2006). "Still a hot favourite at 50". Online Edition of The Hindu, dated 2006-03-09. Chennai, India: 2006, The Hindu. Archived from the original on 12 October 2007. Retrieved 8 June 2007.

^"A field day in coorg". The Hindu. Chennai, India. 13 June 2004. Archived from the original on 22 June 2007. Retrieved 10 June 2007. Since Coorg (Kodagu) was the cradle of Indian hockey, with over 50 players from the region going on to represent the nation so far, seven of whom were Olympians...

^Krishnakumar (13 June 2004). "A field day in coorg". Chennai, India: The Hindu. Archived from the original on 22 June 2007. Retrieved 10 June 2007. ... the festival assumed such monstrous proportions (one year, 350 families took part in the festival) that it found place in the Limca Book of Records. It was recognised as the largest hockey tournament in the world. This has been referred to the Guinness Book of World Records too.

Malini Adiga (2006), The Making of Southern Karnataka: Society, Polity and Culture in the early medieval period, AD 400–1030, Orient Longman, Chennai, ISBN81-250-2912-5

Altekar, Anant Sadashiv (1934) [1934]. The Rashtrakutas And Their Times; being a political, administrative, religious, social, economic and literary history of the Deccan during C. 750 A.D. to C. 1000 A.D. Poona: Oriental Book Agency. OCLC3793499.

1.
States and union territories of India
–
India is a federal union comprising twenty-nine states and seven union territories. The states and union territories are further subdivided into districts and further into smaller administrative divisions, the Constitution of India distributes the sovereign executive and legislative powers exercisable with respect to the territory of any State between the Union and that State. The Indian subcontinent has been ruled by different ethnic groups throughout its history. Between 1947 and 1950, the territories of the states were politically integrated into the Indian Union. The new Constitution of India, which came into force on 26 January 1950, the new republic was also declared to be a Union of States. The nine Part A states were Assam, Bihar, Bombay, Madhya Pradesh, Madras, Orissa, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal. The eight Part B states were former princely states or groups of states, governed by a rajpramukh, who was usually the ruler of a constituent state. The rajpramukh was appointed by the President of India, the Part B states were Hyderabad, Jammu and Kashmir, Madhya Bharat, Mysore, Patiala and East Punjab States Union, Rajasthan, Saurashtra, and Travancore-Cochin. The ten Part C states included both the former chief commissioners provinces and some states, and each was governed by a chief commissioner appointed by the President of India. The Part C states were Ajmer, Bhopal, Bilaspur, Coorg, Delhi, Himachal Pradesh, Cutch, Manipur, Tripura, the only Part D state was the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, which were administered by a lieutenant governor appointed by the central government. The Union Territory of Puducherry was created in 1954 comprising the previous French enclaves of Pondichéry, Karaikal, Yanam, Andhra State was created on 1 October 1953 from the Telugu-speaking northern districts of Madras State. The States Reorganisation Act of 1956 reorganised the states based on linguistic lines resulting in the creation of the new states, as a result of this act, Madras State retained its name with Kanyakumari district added to from Travancore-Cochin. Andhra Pradesh was created with the merger of Andhra State with the Telugu-speaking districts of Hyderabad State in 1956, kerala was created with the merger of Malabar district and the Kasaragod taluk of South Canara districts of Madras State with Travancore-Cochin. The Laccadive Islands which were divided between South Canara and Malabar districts of Madras State were united and organised into the territory of Lakshadweep. Bombay State was enlarged by the addition of Saurashtra State and Kutch State, Rajasthan and Punjab gained territories from Ajmer and Patiala and East Punjab States Union respectively and certain territories of Bihar was transferred to West Bengal. Bombay State was split into the states of Gujarat and Maharashtra on 1 May 1960 by the Bombay Reorganisation Act. Nagaland was formed on 1 December 1963, the Punjab Reorganisation Act of 1966 resulted in the creation of Haryana on 1 November and the transfer of the northern districts of Punjab to Himachal Pradesh. The act also designated Chandigarh as a territory and the shared capital of Punjab

2.
Mysore Palace
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The Palace of Mysore is a historical palace in the city of Mysore in Karnataka, southern India. It is the residence and seat of the Wodeyars — the rulers of Mysore, the royal family of Mysore. The palace houses two durbar halls and incorporates an array of courtyards, gardens, and buildings, the palace is in the central region of inner Mysore, facing the Chamundi Hills eastward. Mysore is commonly described as the City of Palaces, there are about seven palaces inclusive of this, however, Mysore Palace refers specifically to the one within the Old Fort. Krishnaraja Wadiyar III was Maharaja from 1799 to 1831, after the death of Tipu Sultan he made Mysore his capital in May 1799 and focused on education, religious sites and donating jewels to temples including Melkote. Chamaraja Wodeyar IX was crowned on March 25,1881 and he was anointed king on the date fixed by the Governor-General. He is credited with founding Indias first democratic institutions -Prajapratinidhi Sabhe with the Mysore representative assembly in 1881, nalwadi Krishnaraja Wodeyar IV was Maharaja from 1902 to 1940. He was also called the Saint King-Rajarshi by Mahatma Gandhi, assisted by dewans Sir M. Visvesvaraya and Sir Mirza Ismail, he changed Mysore by adding Asias first hydro electric project at Shivanasamudra, the KRS dam and the University of Mysore in 1916. Jayachamaraja Wodeyar was the twenty fifth and the last king, reigning from 1940 to 1950, a musicologist and a philanthropist, he was named Raj Parmukh of Mysore from Jan 26,1950, a post he held for six years. The present Maharaja is Yaduveer Wadiyar, who was adopted by his aunt, king Yaduraya first built a palace inside the Old Fort in Mysore in the 14th century, which was demolished and constructed multiple times. Meanwhile, the family stayed in the nearby Jaganmohan Palace. The construction in charge was taken by B. P. Raghavulu Naidu who was Executive engineer in the Mysore Palace Division. He made elaborate studies on architecture that had to be applied for the new palace by visiting Delhi, Madras and Calcutta and it costed Rs.41,47,913 for the construction and was complete in 1912. This is the magnificent and a masterpiece of a palace which is standing in front of us, the construction was completed in 1912, but the fort continued to be beautified and its inhabitants were slowly moved to the newer extension built off the palace. Besides there are buildings a century old or more, like Crowfard Hall, Oriental Research Institute building, Corporation Complex of Mysore City Corporation, in all the above palaces, the royal family holds blocks held by the kings traditionally. However, the Bangalore Palace and Mysore Palace are entirely under the possession of the royal family, Bangalore Palace remains entirely a private property of the princess. The architectural style of domes of the palace is described as Indo-Saracenic and blends Hindu, Muslim, Rajput. It is a stone structure with marble domes and a 145 ft five-story tower. The palace is surrounded by a large garden, the entrance gate and arch hold the emblem and coat of arms of the kingdom of Mysore, around which is written the kingdoms motto in Sanskrit, न बिभॆति कदाचन

3.
Wadiyar dynasty
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The Wadiyar dynasty was an Indian dynasty that ruled the Kingdom of Mysore from 1399 to 1761 and from 1799 to 1947. The kingdom was incorporated into the Dominion of India after its independence from British rule, in Kannada, the word Wadiyar means Lord or Lordship. Historical records use the term ″Wodeyar″ when referring to the royal family members. In more modern Kannada transliteration, the variation ″Odeyar″ is also used, the origin of Wodeyars is traced to Yadavas of Dvārakā, who came to Karnataka and seeing the natural beauty of the place made Mysore their abode. The Yadavas then ruled over the area for 600 years, the dynasty was established in 1399 by Yaduraya Wodeyar. He ruled Mysore under the Vijayanagara Empire until 1423, after Yaduraya Wodeyar, the Mysore kingdom was succeeded by the Wadiyar rulers. The kingdom remained fairly small during this period and was a part of the Vijayanagara Empire. After the fall of the Vijayanagara Empire in 1565, the Kingdom of Mysore became independent, during the reign of Krishnaraja Wadiyar III, the region came under the control of the British Empire. His successors changed the English spelling of their name to Wadiyar. The Vijayanagara Empire disintegrated in 1565, the power vacuum created soon after was exploited by Raja Wadiyar. Later famous rulers of the dynasty included Kanthirava Narasaraja I, who expanded the frontiers of the Mysore kingdom to Trichy in Tamil Nadu. The dynasty reached its peak under Chikka Devaraja, who reformed the administration of the empire by dividing it into 18 departments, after Tipu Sultan was killed by the British in the Battle of Srirangapatna in 1799, the Wadiyars were restored to a reduced kingdom. After restoring the Wadiyars to the throne of Mysore, the British shifted the capital back to the city of Mysore from Srirangapatna, the four-year-old boy Krishna Raja Wadiyar III, son of the last Wadiyar king, Khasa Chamaraja Wadiyar VIII, was anointed as the King of Mysore. Wadiyars were now subsidiaries of the British Raj and had to pay a subsidy to the British. British commissioners administered Mysore from 1831–1881, bowring are among the well-known commissioners of the period. In 1868, the British Parliament heeded the plea and decided to restore the kingdom to his adopted son Chamaraja Wadiyar IX. In 1881, the transfer of power back to the Wadiyars heralded an important phase in the making of modern Mysore, for the first time in India, democratic experiments were introduced by the establishment of a representative assembly. Under British hegemony, the Wadiyars, freed from security concerns and they made Mysore a cultural center of Karnataka, fostering a number of famous musicians, writers and painters

4.
Coat of arms of Karnataka
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The coat of arms of Karnataka is the state emblem of Karnataka, India. The coat of arms is based on that of the Kingdom of Mysore and is carried on all official correspondences made by Government of Karnataka, the arms has a red shield charged with a white two-headed bird, Gandaberunda bordured in blue. The shield is flanked on either side by red-maned, yellow lion-elephant Sharabha supporters standing on a green, below the compartment lies written in stylized Devanāgarī, the national motto of India, सत्यमेव जयते. Emblems of Indian States National Emblem of India

5.
Geographic coordinate system
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A geographic coordinate system is a coordinate system used in geography that enables every location on Earth to be specified by a set of numbers, letters or symbols. The coordinates are chosen such that one of the numbers represents a vertical position. A common choice of coordinates is latitude, longitude and elevation, to specify a location on a two-dimensional map requires a map projection. The invention of a coordinate system is generally credited to Eratosthenes of Cyrene. Ptolemy credited him with the adoption of longitude and latitude. Ptolemys 2nd-century Geography used the prime meridian but measured latitude from the equator instead. Mathematical cartography resumed in Europe following Maximus Planudes recovery of Ptolemys text a little before 1300, in 1884, the United States hosted the International Meridian Conference, attended by representatives from twenty-five nations. Twenty-two of them agreed to adopt the longitude of the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, the Dominican Republic voted against the motion, while France and Brazil abstained. France adopted Greenwich Mean Time in place of local determinations by the Paris Observatory in 1911, the latitude of a point on Earths surface is the angle between the equatorial plane and the straight line that passes through that point and through the center of the Earth. Lines joining points of the same latitude trace circles on the surface of Earth called parallels, as they are parallel to the equator, the north pole is 90° N, the south pole is 90° S. The 0° parallel of latitude is designated the equator, the plane of all geographic coordinate systems. The equator divides the globe into Northern and Southern Hemispheres, the longitude of a point on Earths surface is the angle east or west of a reference meridian to another meridian that passes through that point. All meridians are halves of great ellipses, which converge at the north and south poles, the prime meridian determines the proper Eastern and Western Hemispheres, although maps often divide these hemispheres further west in order to keep the Old World on a single side. The antipodal meridian of Greenwich is both 180°W and 180°E, the combination of these two components specifies the position of any location on the surface of Earth, without consideration of altitude or depth. The grid formed by lines of latitude and longitude is known as a graticule, the origin/zero point of this system is located in the Gulf of Guinea about 625 km south of Tema, Ghana. To completely specify a location of a feature on, in, or above Earth. Earth is not a sphere, but a shape approximating a biaxial ellipsoid. It is nearly spherical, but has an equatorial bulge making the radius at the equator about 0. 3% larger than the radius measured through the poles, the shorter axis approximately coincides with the axis of rotation

6.
India
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India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and it is bounded by the Indian Ocean on the south, the Arabian Sea on the southwest, and the Bay of Bengal on the southeast. It shares land borders with Pakistan to the west, China, Nepal, and Bhutan to the northeast, in the Indian Ocean, India is in the vicinity of Sri Lanka and the Maldives. Indias Andaman and Nicobar Islands share a border with Thailand. The Indian subcontinent was home to the urban Indus Valley Civilisation of the 3rd millennium BCE, in the following millennium, the oldest scriptures associated with Hinduism began to be composed. Social stratification, based on caste, emerged in the first millennium BCE, early political consolidations took place under the Maurya and Gupta empires, the later peninsular Middle Kingdoms influenced cultures as far as southeast Asia. In the medieval era, Judaism, Zoroastrianism, Christianity, and Islam arrived, much of the north fell to the Delhi sultanate, the south was united under the Vijayanagara Empire. The economy expanded in the 17th century in the Mughal empire, in the mid-18th century, the subcontinent came under British East India Company rule, and in the mid-19th under British crown rule. A nationalist movement emerged in the late 19th century, which later, under Mahatma Gandhi, was noted for nonviolent resistance, in 2015, the Indian economy was the worlds seventh largest by nominal GDP and third largest by purchasing power parity. Following market-based economic reforms in 1991, India became one of the major economies and is considered a newly industrialised country. However, it continues to face the challenges of poverty, corruption, malnutrition, a nuclear weapons state and regional power, it has the third largest standing army in the world and ranks sixth in military expenditure among nations. India is a constitutional republic governed under a parliamentary system. It is a pluralistic, multilingual and multi-ethnic society and is home to a diversity of wildlife in a variety of protected habitats. The name India is derived from Indus, which originates from the Old Persian word Hindu, the latter term stems from the Sanskrit word Sindhu, which was the historical local appellation for the Indus River. The ancient Greeks referred to the Indians as Indoi, which translates as The people of the Indus, the geographical term Bharat, which is recognised by the Constitution of India as an official name for the country, is used by many Indian languages in its variations. Scholars believe it to be named after the Vedic tribe of Bharatas in the second millennium B. C. E and it is also traditionally associated with the rule of the legendary emperor Bharata. Gaṇarājya is the Sanskrit/Hindi term for republic dating back to the ancient times, hindustan is a Persian name for India dating back to the 3rd century B. C. E. It was introduced into India by the Mughals and widely used since then and its meaning varied, referring to a region that encompassed northern India and Pakistan or India in its entirety

7.
Mysore State
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Mysore State was a separate state within the Union of India from 1948 until 1956 with Mysore as its capital. The state was enlarged in 1956 when it became a linguistically homogeneous Kannada-speaking state in 1956. It was subsequently incorporated into the state of Karnataka, the Kingdom of Mysore /maɪˈsɔər/ was one of the three largest princely states within the former British Empire of India. Upon India gaining its independence in 1947, the Maharaja of Mysore signed the instrument of accession incorporating his realm with the Union of India on 15 August 1947, the territories of the erstwhile princely state of Mysore were then reconstituted into a state within the Union of India. In 1956, the Government of India effected a comprehensive re-organisation of provincial boundaries, as a result of the States Reorganisation Act on 1 November 1956, the Kannada-speaking districts of Belgaum, Bijapur, Dharwar, and North Canara were transferred from Bombay State to Mysore State. Bellary district was transferred from Andhra State, south Canara and Udupi districts were transferred from Madras State and the Koppal, Raichur, Gulbarga and Bidar districts from Hyderabad State. Also small Coorg State was merged, becoming a district of Mysore State. R

8.
Bangalore
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Bangalore /bæŋɡəˈlɔːr/, officially known as Bengaluru, is the capital of the Indian state of Karnataka. It has a population of about 8.42 million and a population of about 8.52 million, making it the third most populous city. It is located in southern India on the Deccan Plateau and its elevation is over 900 m above sea level, the highest of Indias major cities. In 1638, the Marāthās conquered and ruled Bangalore for almost 50 years, after which the Mughals captured and it was captured by the British after victory in the Fourth Anglo-Mysore War, who returned administrative control of the city to the Maharaja of Mysore. The old city developed in the dominions of the Maharaja of Mysore and was capital of the Princely State of Mysore. In 1809, the British shifted their cantonment to Bangalore, outside the old city, and a grew up around it. Following Indias independence in 1947, Bangalore became the capital of Mysore State, the two urban settlements of Bangalore – city and cantonment – which had developed as independent entities merged into a single urban centre in 1949. The existing Kannada name, Bengalūru, was declared the name of the city in 2006. Bangalore is sometimes referred to as the Silicon Valley of India because of its role as the leading information technology exporter. Indian technological organisations ISRO, Infosys, Wipro and HAL are headquartered in the city, a demographically diverse city, Bangalore is the second fastest-growing major metropolis in India. Numerous state-owned aerospace and defence organisations, such as Bharat Electronics, Hindustan Aeronautics, the city also houses the Kannada film industry. The name Bangalore represents a version of the Kannada language name. It is the name of a village near kodegehalli and was copied by Kempegowda to the city of Bangalore, Bangalore was built on a venue earlier called as Shivanasamudram in the 16th century. The earliest reference to the name Bengalūru was found in a ninth-century Western Ganga Dynasty stone inscription on a vīra gallu, in this inscription found in Begur, Bengalūrū is referred to as a place in which a battle was fought in 890 CE. It states that the place was part of the Ganga Kingdom until 1004 and was known as Bengaval-uru, an apocryphal story recounts that the 12th century Hoysala king Veera Ballala II, while on a hunting expedition, lost his way in the forest. Tired and hungry, he came across an old woman who served him boiled beans. The grateful king named the place benda-kaal-uru, which evolved into Bengalūru. On 11 December 2005, the Government of Karnataka announced that it had accepted a proposal by Jnanpith Award winner U. R. Ananthamurthy to rename Bangalore to Bengalūru, on 27 September 2006, the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike passed a resolution to implement the proposed name change

9.
Bagalkot district
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Bāgalkot district is an administrative district in the Indian state of Karnataka. The district headquarters is located in the town of Bagalkote, the district is located in northern Karnataka and borders Belgaum, Gadag, Koppal, Raichur and Bijapur. The new Bagalkote district was carved out of Bijapur in 1997 via Government of Karnataka directive Notification RD42 LRD87 Part III, the bifurcated Bagalkote district consists of six taluks — Badami, Bagalkote, Bilagi, Hunagund, Jamakhandi and Mudhol. Historically, Badami which is part of Bagalkote was the capital of the Chalukyan Empire of South India under Pulakeshin I, Bagalkots Badami taluk remained the seat of the throne of the Chalukyas from 550 CE —753 CE, when Chalukya king Kirtivarman II was overthrown by the Rashtrakutas. Remnants of Chalukyan art and architecture are important tourist attractions in Bagalkote, the cave temples of Badami Cave Temples and the Jain temples of Rashtrakutas at Lokapura and Bilgi are also famous. Cottage industries occupy a predominant position in Bagalkote, the district is popular for its silk and handloom industries. Ghataprabha River, Malaprabha River and Krishna River flow through the district, Koodalasangama lies at the point of confluence of rivers Krishna and Malaprabha. Like most districts in India, Bagalkote is headed by a Deputy Commissioner, the Samadhi of 12th-century social reformist Basavanna, known for his crusade against caste exploitation, is located in Koodalasangama, a town in the taluk of Hungund. Stone inscriptions identify Bagadige as the ancient name of Bagalkote, according to legend, the area was gifted by the mythological Rāvana, lord of Lanka to his musicians. Other taluks in Bagalkote also have mythological origins, Badami, formerly known as Vatapi, was named after an asura king who, according to the Mahābhārata, ruled the area along with his brother Ilvala. Legend has it that both asuras were vanquished by the sage Agasthya, the northwestern taluk of Jamkhandi derives its name from the Chalukya temple dedicated to Jambukeshwara, a form of the Hindu deity Shiva. The town of Aihole, formerly the capital of the Chalukyan Empire of Banavasi was previously known as Ayyavole, the western taluk of Mudhol was traditionally known as Muduvollal — literally translating into lovely town. The ancient town of Pattadakal was previously known as Raktapura – red town, the Greek astronomer Ptolemy previously identified many towns in the district of Bagalkote. Pattadakal was referred to as Petrigal, while Badami was known as Badiamaioi, in inscriptions, the old name of the town was quoted as Bagadage under the Chalukyas. Between 1664 and 1755 this territory was under the Savanur Nawab from whom it was annexed by the Peshwa, during 1778, Haider Ali took possession of Bagalkote. It fell into the hands of Marathas in 1792, in 1800, the provincial manager, Anandarao Bhikaji belonging to the Ratia family residing at Bagalkote built a palace. In 1810, Peshwa Bajirao II gave the area to Nilakantharao Sarsubedar who held Bagalkote Fort supported by a garrison till Gen. Munro occupied it in 1818, the place was a noted centre of freedom movement and also of unification movement. The place is on the banks of the Ghataprabha River, the place has a cement factory and is a centre of trade in cotton and groundnut

10.
Bangalore Rural district
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Bengaluru Rural District is one of the 30 districts in Karnataka. It was formed in 1986, when Bengaluru was divided into Bengaluru and Bengaluru, presently in Bengaluru Rural district, there are 2 divisions,4 Talukas,35 Hoblis,1,713 inhabited and 177 uninhabited villages,9 towns, and 229 Gram Panchayats. Proximity to the city of Bengaluru has its own impact on the district, the rural people are mostly agriculturists, although with the advent of SEZs in the area, service and IT industries are booming. Devanahalli is set to be the site of a 95 billion Devanahalli Business Park, according to the 2001 census, the total population of the district was,1,881,514 of which 21. 65% were urban with a population density of 309 persons per km2. Bangalore Rural district has 22. 5% of its belonging to the Scheduled Caste. Hinduism is the religion of this district. The Bengaluru Rural district is essentially an agriculture district but it has sufficient scope for Industrialisation, Dairy development and it is the second least populous district in Karnataka, after Kodagu. The district is endowed with agricultural and horticultural crops such as ragi, rice, groundnut, sugarcane, castor, grapes, mulberry, there are adequate infrastructural facilities such as transport and communications, banking, credit, and marketing. Though the region is not rich in resources, its non-metallic mineral resources are utilised for bricks, tiles. For many years, weaving has also been an occupation for a large section of the population. The soil and such conditions are congenial for the cultivation of mulberry, rearing of silkworms. There are a number of wineries and quantity of production of wine has been increasing, there is a proposal by the Government of Karnataka to rename Bengaluru Rural district to Kempe Gowda. In September 2007, the taluks of Kanakapura, Ramanagara, Magadi, according to the 2011 census Bengaluru Rural district has a population of 987,257, roughly equal to the nation of Fiji or the US state of Montana. This gives it a ranking of 449th in India, the district has a population density of 441 inhabitants per square kilometre. Its population growth rate over the decade 2001-2011 was 16. 02%, Bengaluru Rural has a sex ratio of 945 females for every 1000 males, and a literacy rate of 78. 29%

11.
Belgaum district
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Belgaum is a district in the state of Karnataka, India. The city of Belgaum is the headquarters in North Karnataka. It is also called as the capital of Karnataka state, as it houses the second legislative building. According to the 2011 Census of India, it has a population of 4,778,439 of which 24. 03% live in areas, making it the second most populous district in Karnataka. Belgaum is the Divisional Headquarters of North Karnataka The ancient name of the town of Belgaum was Venugrama and it is also called as Malnad Pradesh. The most ancient place in the district is Halsi, and this and it appears that from the middle of the 6th century to about 760 the area was held by the Chalukyas, who were succeeded by the Rashtrakutas. After the break-up of the Rashtrakuta power a portion of it survived in the Rattas, inscriptions give evidence of a long struggle between the Rattas and the Kadambas of Goa, who succeeded in the latter years of the 12th century in acquiring and holding part of the district. By 1208, however, the Kadambas had been overthrown by the Rattas, in 1347 the northern part was conquered by the Bahmani Sultanate, which in 1473 took the town of Belgaum and conquered the southern part also. When Aurangzeb overthrew the Bijapura sultans in 1686, Belgaum passed to the Mughals, in 1776 the country was overrun by Hyder Ali of Mysore, but was taken by the Madhavrao Peshwa with British assistance. In 1818 it was handed over to the British East India Company, in 1836 this was divided into two parts, the northern district becoming Belgaum. Yadur is situated beside Krishna river, there is famous veerbhadra temple, many devotees visit this place from Karnataka and Maharashtra. Hooli is one of the oldest villages in Belgaum district, there are many Chalukya temples in the village and the Panchaligeswara temple is very famous. Kittur in Belgaum district is a place of historical importance, Rani Chennamma of Kittur is known for her resistance to British rule. The British had an infantry post here, having realised the military importance of its geographic location. It is one of the reasons for Belgaums sobriquet The Cradle of Infantry, development of a rail network for the movement of resources and later troops was one of the means employed by both the British East India Company and the British to exert control over India. Belgaums railway station, the Mahatma Gandhi Railway Station was established by the British, a signboard declaring the sobriquet can be seen hung on Platform 1 at the station. Because of that linguistic disparity, the case is now in the Supreme Court of India, administration of Belgaum District has been divided into 14 taluks. Athani taluk is the largest with an area of 1,997.70 km², the district comprises three revenue sub-divisions and six police sub-divisions

12.
Bidar district
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The Bidar district is the northernmost part of the Karnataka state in India. Geographically, it resembles the Crown of the State, occupying its northeastern tip, the Bidar district is constituted by five talukas, Aurad, Basavakalyan, Bhalki, Bidar and Humnabad with Bidar being the headquarters of the district. It is connected with NH9 and NH218, the traditional tales refer to this as Viduranagara of Mahabharata times and also as the place where Nala and Damayanthi met. Historically, the district had a glorious past and it was ruled by the Mauryas, Satavahanas, Rashtrakutas, Chalukyas, Kalachuris, Kakatiyas, Khiljis, Bahamanis, Baridshahis, Mughals and the Hyderabad Nizam. The treasure of culture, fine arts and architecture nurtured by successive rulers has contributed to its richness, as such, there are more Hindus and Muslims in Bidar district with their rich culture. Similarly, social and religious reformers such as Basaveshwara and Guru Nanak also played significant role in social reformation based on equality, the great revolution by Shivasharanas in the 12th century, encompassing social, literacy and religious fields emerged on this land. Bidar district is popular for different religions, castes and cultures due to its historical developments through the ages, the first Rashtrakuta capital was Mayurkhandi in the present day Bidar district. The regal capital was moved to Manyakheta in the present day Kalaburagi district by Amoghavarsha I. Kalyani in Bidar district was the capital of Western Chalukyas, who were also called Kalyani Chalukyas after their capital, the Kalachuris continued with Kalyani as their capital. Later, Bidar was ruled in succession by the vassals to Sevuna Yadavas of Devagiri, Kakatiyas of Warangal, Allauddin Khilji and Muhammad bin Tughluq. The generals of Muhammad Bin Tughlaq who were nominated as viceroys of the newly conquered Deccan region broke up, the Bahmani capital was shifted from Kalburgi or Kalubaruge to Bidar in 1425. Bidar remained the capital until the Sultanates breakup after 1518 and it then became the center of the Barid Shahis, one of the five independent sultanates known as the Deccan sultanates. These were the states to the Bahmani kingdom. The district was a part of the Hyderabad state before it was liberated on 17 September 1948 during Operation Polo by Indian Armed Forces under the leadership of Vallabhbhai Patel. With the reorganization of states in 1956 along linguistic lines, Bidar was deemed a Kannada speaking area, initially it had only four talukas, Basavakalyan taluka was brought into existence in 1965. Bidar, Kalaburagi, Yadgir, Raichur and Koppal are collectively referred to as Hyderabad Karnataka, bellary, though ceded to the British in 1800 AD, is also grouped together with these areas. The ancient schistose rocks are covered by the Deccan Traps, the most remarkable character of these traps is their perfectly horizontal disposition. The traps weather with a characteristic spheroidal weathering and the area is strewn with numerous dark-coloured boulders of all shapes and sizes

13.
Bijapur district, Karnataka
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Vijayapura district Previously known as Bijapur district is a district in the state of Karnataka in India. The city of Bijapur is the headquarters of the district, and is located 530 km northwest of Bengaluru, Bijapur is well known for the great monuments of historical importance built during the Adil Shahi dynasty. By the late 13th century, the area had come under the influence of the Khilji Sultanate, in 1347, the area was conquered by the Bahmani Sultanate of Gulbarga. By this time the city was being referred as Vijapur or Bijapur, in 1518, the Bahmani Sultanate split into five splinter states known as the Deccan sultanates, one of which was Bijapur, ruled by the kings of the Adil Shahi dynasty. The city of Bijapur owes much of its greatness to Yusuf Adil Shah, the rule of this dynasty ended in 1686, when Bijapur was conquered by the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb. In 1724 the Nizam of Hyderabad established his independence in the Deccan, in 1760, the Nizam suffered a defeat by the Marathas, and ceded the region of Bijapur to the Maratha Peshwa. After the 1818 defeat of the Peshwa by the British in the Third Anglo-Maratha War, Bijapur passed into the hands of the British East India Company, and was assigned to the princely state of Satara. In 1848 the territory of Satara, along with Bijapur, was annexed to Britains Bombay Presidency when the last ruler died without a male heir, the British carved a new district by the name Kaladagi. The district included present-day Bijapur and Bagalkot districts, Bijapur was made the administrative headquarters of the district in 1885, when the headquarters were moved from Bagalkot. After Indias Independence in 1947, the became part of Bombay state. The former southern taluks of the district were separated in 1997 to form Bagalkot District, within the citadel are the remains of both Hindu temples and old mosques, which prove that Bijapur was an important town. The fort, which was completed by Au Adil Shah in 1566, is surrounded by a wall 6 m. in circumference and this wall is from 30 to 50 ft high, and is strengthened with 96 massive bastions of various designs. In addition there are ten others at the various gateways, the width is about 25 ft, from bastion to bastion runs a battlemented curtained wall about 10 ft high. The whole is surrounded by a deep moat 30 to 40 ft broad, inside these walls the Bijapur kings bade defiance to all comers. Badami, Aihole, and Pattadakal, near Bijapur, are noted for their temples in the Chalukyan architectural style. Under the British Raj, Bijapur District was part of the Bombay Presidency, at the time of Indian independence,1948, Bijapur District became part of Bombay State. In 1956, when Bijapur was reorganized to consolidate speakers of the Kannada language, in 1997, Bagalkot District was split off from Bijapur Bijapur District is divided into five talukas and 199 panchayat villages. Basavana Bagevadi Bijapur Indi Muddebihal Sindagi Talikota Bijapur District has an area of 10541 square kilometres and it consists 5. 49% of Karnataka state area

14.
Chamarajanagar district
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Chamarajanagar is the southernmost district in the state of Karnataka, India. It was carved out of the original larger Mysore District in the year 1998, Chamarajanagar town is the headquarters of this district. It is the third least populous district in Karnataka, after Kodagu, Chamarajanagar was earlier known as Arikottara. Chamaraja Wodeyar, the Wodeyar king of Mysooru was born here, the Vijaya Parsvanath Basadi, a holy Jain shrine was constructed by Punisadandanayaka, the commander of the Hoysala king Gangaraja in the year 1117 AD. Being the southernmost district of Karnataka, Chamarajanagar district borders the state of Tamil Nadu, most of the district lies in the leeward region of the Nilgiris and consists of mainly semi-arid rain-dependent flatlands along with forested hills. According to the 2011 census Chamarajanagar district has a population of 1,020,962 and this gives it a ranking of 441st in India. The district has a density of 200 inhabitants per square kilometre. Its population growth rate over the decade 2001-2011 was 5. 75%, Chamarajanagar has a sex ratio of 989 females for every 1000 males, and a literacy rate of 61. 12%. Having a large percentage of forest cover, the district also has a population of forest-dwelling tribals, prominent among them are the Soligas, Yeravas, Jenu Kurubas. These tribals have their own dialect and their population is said to be around 82,000. Since much of the area of the district is dense forest, it provided good refuge to the notorious bandit Veerappan. He was shot dead in an encounter with the specially formed Special Task Force on 18 October 2004, in Dharmapuri district and he had been on the run for over two decades. The presence of illegal quarrying for black stone imposes a great threat to the forests in the region, the main tourist attractions are Biligiriranga Hills, Male Mahadeshwara Hills and Shivasamudram falls. Bandipur national park attracts many visitors. Gopalaswamy Hills in Gundlupet also attracts many visitors

15.
Chikkaballapura district
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Chikballapura district is a district in the state of Karnataka, India. Kannada is the official and most widely spoken language, the town of Chikballapur is the district headquarters and a key transport link in the North Bangalore area. The north-south six-lane National Highway 44 as well as the East-West Highway 69 go through the district, a rail line runs north from Bangalore to the town of Chikballapur, east past Doddaganjur to Srinivaspur and south to the town of Kolar. The town of Muddenahalli is the birthplace of eminent engineer and statesman Sir Mokshagundam Visvesvarayya) is the site of the Sri Sathya Sai Baba University, the Nandi Hills and Nandi Fort are situated within the Chikballapur taluk. It is dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva, according to a popular legend, the Marigowda, the son of the chief Avathimalla Biregowda, was hunting one day in the Kodimanchanahalli forest. He found a rabbit standing fearlessly in front of hunting dogs, excited by this, the chief told his son that it was a sign of the boldness of the local people. So, he obtained permission from the king of Vijayanagara and built a fort and this in course of time developed into the town of Chickballapur. During the rule of Baichegowda, the king of Mysore attacked the fort but had to due to the interference of Marathas. Dodda Byregowda, who came to power after Baichegowda, resumed control of the territories seized earlier by Mysore, in 1762, during the rule of Chikkappanayaka, Hyder Ali laid siege the town for a period of three months. Then Chikkappanayaka agreed to pay 5-lakhs pagodas, and the army was withdrawn, after this, Chikkappa Nayaka with the help of Murariraya of Gooty tried to get back his powers. He was hiding at Nandi hills along with Chikkappa Nayaka, immediately Hyder Ali took Chickballapur and other places and arrested Chikkappa Nayaka. In 1791 British occupied Nandi & left Narayanagowda to rule the town, later on the British defeated Tipu Sultan. Chickballapur also came under the administration of Wodeyars of Mysore, which is now a part of Karnataka. As of the 2011 census Chikkaballapur district had a population of 1,255,104, roughly equal to the nation of Trinidad and this gave it a ranking of 385th in population of districts in India. The district had a density of 298 inhabitants per square kilometre. Its population growth rate over the decade 2001-2011 was 9. 17%, chikkaballapura had a sex ratio of 968 females for every 1000 males, and a literacy rate of 70. 08%. Mallasandra village, Bagepalli Taluk Appegoudanahalli, Shidlaghatta Taluk, karekallahalli, Gowribidanur Taluk Peresandra, Chikkaballapur Taluk Pesalaparthi, Bagepalli taluk GUNDAPPANA HALLI, Chikkaballapur Taluk. Chikballapur District Website City of Chikballapur Website

16.
Chikmagalur district
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Chikkamagaluru is a district in the state of Karnataka. Coffee was first cultivated in India in Chikkamagaluru, the mountains in Chikkamagaluru which are a part of the Western Ghats are the source of rivers like Tunga and Bhadra. Mullayanagiri, which is the highest peak in Karnataka is located in the district and it is also a tourists paradise containing hill stations like Kemmanagundi and Kudremukh and waterfalls like Manikyadhara, Hebbe, Kallathigiri. Chikkamagaluru district has a history as is seen in the Hoysala temple at Amrithapura. Wildlife enthusiasts would be interested in the Kudremukh National Park and Bhadra Wildlife Sanctuary present in this district, Chikkamagaluru district gets its name from its headquarters of Chikkamagaluru town. It is alternatively spelt as Chickmagalur or Chikmagalur, Chikkamagaluru literally means The town of the younger daughter in the Kannada language. The town is said to have given as a dowry to the younger daughter of Rukmangada. As one can guess, there is indeed a town called Hiremagaluru which means The town of the elder daughter which is about 5 km from Chikkamagaluru town, Chikkamagaluru is the region where the Hoysala rulers started and spent the early days of their dynasty. According to a legend, it was at Sosevur, now identified with Angadi in Mudigere Taluk that Sala and it is known that Veera Ballala II, the great king of Hoysala empire, has built the Amriteshwara temple at Amrithapura in Tarikere Taluk. Coffee was introduced into India through the Chikkamagaluru district when the first coffee crop was grown in the Baba Budan Giri Hills during 1670 AD. According to the article Origins of Coffee, the saint Baba Budan on his pilgrimage to Mecca travelled through the seaport of Mocha, to introduce its taste to India, he wrapped seven coffee beans around his belly and got them out of Arabia. On his return home, he planted the beans in the hills of Chikkamagaluru, Chikkamagaluru, the headquarters of Chikkamagaluru district, is 251 km from the state capital of Bengaluru, and is surrounded by the Chandra Drona hills and dense forests. The district is between 12° 54´ 42´´ and 13° 53´ 53´´ North latitude and between 75° 04´ 46´´ and 76° 21´ 50´´ east longitude and its greatest length from east to west is about 138.4 kilometers and from north to south 88.5 kilometers. The district receives normal average rainfall of 1925 mm, the highest point in the district is Mullayanagiri,1926 mts. above sea level which is also the highest point in the state of Karnataka. 30% of the district is covered with forests, the district borders Shimoga to the north, Davanagere to the north-east, Chitradurga and Tumkur districts to the east, Hassan to the south, Dakshina Kannada to the south-west and Udupi to the west. The rivers Bhadra, Tunga, Hemavathi, Netravati, and Vedavathi flow all year round, the district is rich in iron, magnetite and granite deposits. Black soil is found around Baba Budan Giri Hills whereas Red, according to the 2011 census Chikkamagaluru district has a population of 1,137,753, roughly equal to the nation of Cyprus or the US state of Rhode Island. This gives it a ranking of 408th in India, the district has a population density of 158 inhabitants per square kilometre

17.
Chitradurga district
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Chitradurga district is an administrative district of Karnataka state in southern India. The city of Chitradurga is the district headquarters, Chitradurga gets its name from Chitrakaldurga, an umbrella-shaped lofty hill found there. Tradition dates Chitradurga District to the period of the Ramayana and Mahabharata, the whole district lies in the valley of the Vedavati River, with the Tungabhadra River flowing in the northwest. During the British times it was named Chitaldroog, the district was practically ruled by all the well known dynasties that ruled Karnataka. According to the 2011 census Chitradurga district has a population of 1,660,378 and this gives it a ranking of 297th in India. The district has a density of 197 inhabitants per square kilometre. Its population growth rate over the decade 2001–2011 was 9. 39%, Chitradurga has a sex ratio of 969 females for every 1000 males, and a literacy rate of 73. 82%. As of 2001, the population was 1,517,896, the majority of the people in Chitradurga are Hindus, Muslims representing about 9% of the population. Kannada is the most widely spoken language, the district is hilly, with lots of forts and villages. Davanagere District was formerly part of Chitradurga, the district is divided into taluks, namely Chitradurga, Hiriyur, Hosadurga, Holalkere, Challakere and Molakalmuru. It is rich in deposits, including gold prospecting at Halekal, Kotemardi or Bedimaradi, etc. A rock cut edict of Emperor Ashoka, near Bharamagiri reveals that Chitradurga was part of the Mauryan Empire dating to the 3rd century BC, after the fall of the Mauryans, this land was under the rule of royal dynasties like the Rashtrakutas, Chalukyas and Hoysalas. But it really achieved eminence, as a state of the Vijayanagar Empire, under the dynastic rule of the Nayakas or “Paleyars”. The most eminent of the chieftains, was Madakari Nayaka. This hill fortress built by the Nayakas during the Vijayanagar era, in 1779, the fort was captured by Haider Ali, who along with his son Tipu Sultan, was responsible for its expansion and strengthening. After Tipu Sultan’s defeat by the British, the fort came under the rule of the Royal Mysore family, Chitradurga features bold rock hills and picturesque valleys, huge towering boulders in unimaginable shapes. It is known as the stone fortress, the landscape looks much like a mischievous giants playground, with boulders thrown around, forming silhouettes against the sky. According to a story in the Epic Mahabharatha, a man-eating gaint named Hidimbasura lived on the Chitradurga hill and was a source of terror to everyone around, when the Pandavas came with their mother Kunti in the course of their exile, Bhima had a duel with Hidimba

18.
Dakshina Kannada
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Dakshina Kannada is a coastal district in the state of Karnataka in India. Sheltered by the Western Ghats on the east and surrounded by the Lakshadweep Sea on the west, Dakshina Kannada receives abundant rainfall during the monsoon. It is bordered by Udupi District to the north, Chikkamagaluru district to the northeast, Hassan District to the east, Kodagu to the southeast, and Kasaragod District in Kerala to the south. The district has 2 agroclimatic divisions namely Coastal region - consists of Mangalore and Bantwal taluks Malnad region - consists of Puttur, Belthangady, the district has 2 revenue subdivisions - Mangalore and Puttur. Mangalore city is the headquarters of Dakshina Kannada. The district is divided into five talukas namely Mangalore, Bantwal, Puttur, Sullia and it used to include 4 northern talukas, Udupi, Kundapur, Karkala and Byndoor, but these were separated in August 1997 to form Udupi district. Dakshina Kannada, Udupi and Kasaragod are often called Tulu Nadu, important towns in Dakshina Kannada include Mangalore, Bantwal, Vittal, Puttur, Sullia, Surathkal, Moodabidri, Uppinangady, Venur, Mulki, Dharmasthala, Ujire, Belthangady and Subramanya. The district is known for beaches, red clay roof tiles, cashew nut and its products, banking, education, healthcare. According to 2011 Indian Census, the district ranks second in per capita income, second in HDI, first in literacy, before 1860, Dakshina Kannada was part of a district called Kanara, which was under a single administration in the Madras Presidency. In 1860, the British split the area into South Kanara and North Kanara, Kundapur taluk was earlier included in North Kanara, but was re-included in South Kanara later. During the Reorganisation of States in 1956, Kasaragod was split and transferred to the newly created Kerala state, South Canara was a district under the British empire which included the present Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, Kasaragod districts and Aminidivi islands. Canara district was bifurcated in 1859 to form North Canara and South Canara, Dakshina Kannada became a district of Mysore State in 1956 which later was renamed Karnataka in 1973. Kasaragod became a district of Kerala during the Re-organization of States, the Udupi district was formed from the northern taluks of Dakshina Kannada in 1997. Later, the Karnataka Government, for the purpose of administration, split the greater Dakshina Kannada district into Udupi, three taluks of the former district namely Udupi, Karkala and Kundapura formed the new Udupi district. According to the 2011 census Dakshina Kannada has a population of 2,089,649 and this gives it a ranking of 220th in India. The district has a density of 457 inhabitants per square kilometre. Its population growth rate over the decade 2001-2011 was 9. 8%, Dakshina Kannada has a sex ratio of 1018 females for every 1000 males and a literacy rate of 88. 62%. The literacy rate of Mangalore city is 94%, tuluvas, distributed among the Billava, Mogaveera, Bunt, Koraga, Kulala, and Devadiga communities, are the largest ethnic group in the district

19.
Dharwad district
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Dharwad District is an administrative district of the state of Karnataka in southern India. Dharwad is the headquarters of North Karnataka. The administrative headquarters of the district is the town of Dharwad, Dharwad is famous for its Dharwad Peda – a milk based sweetmeat. Dharwad is the seat of the district of the same name. Dharwad is located 425 km northwest of Bangalore and 421 km south of Pune, KREIS North Unit of National Projects Construction Corporation has its headquarters here. Karnataka High Court circuit Bench is also based here, before 1997 the district had an area of 13738 km2. The word Dharwad means a place of rest in a travel or a small habitation. For centuries, Dharwad acted as a gateway between the Malenadu region and the plains, and it became a place for travellers. The name is derived from the Sanskrit word dwarawata, dwara meaning door, another theory is that during the Vijayanagara rule of Dharwad there was a ruler by name of Dharav, and Dharwad got its name from him. There are some inscriptions that refer to Dharwad as Kampana Sthana, inscriptions found near Durga Devi temple in Narendra and RLS High School date back to the 12th century and have references to Dharwad. This makes Dharwad at least 900 years old, also, there is an inscription at Hanuman Temple at Bokyapur lake near Garag. The Chalukyas ruled Dharwad during the 12th century, a stone inscription indicates that there was a ruler by the name of BhaskaraDeva in 1117. Adil Shah built a fort in an area later called MannaKille, in 1685, the fort was taken by the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb, and Dharwad, on the break-up of the Mughal empire, fell under the sway of the Maratha Peshwa of Pune. In 1764, the province was overrun by Hyder Ali of the Mysore, the fort was retaken in 1791 by the Marathas. After the final defeat of the Peshwa by the British in 1818, during the early 19th century, when the British were expanding their domains, they faced a lot of opposition from local rulers, including Baba Saheb of Naragund and Kittur Rani Chennamma. Over time, they took princely and royal titles such as Raja, Nawab, Mirza, although Jahagirdar were considered to be equivalent to lords and barons in some cases they were seen as independent, sovereign princes. Often Jahagirdar were Indian princes who lost their sovereignty due to British Rule, the predominant form of feudal landownership in Mogul India from the 16th to the 18th century. The owner received a share of the land tax from the jagir

20.
Gadag district
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Gadag District is a district in the state of Karnataka, India. The district formed in 1997, when it was split from the Dharwad District, as of 2011, the Gadag District had a population of 971,952. The overall population increased by 13.14 percent from 1991 to 2001, the district features monuments from the Western Chalukya Empire. Gadag District has seven tehsils, Gadag-Betgeri, Ron, Shirhatti, Nargund, Lakshmeshwar, Gajendragad, Gadag The town has 11th- and 12th-century monuments, the temple of Veera Narayana and the Trikuteshwara complex are sites of religious and historic importance. One of the two main Jain temples is dedicated to Mahavira, Trikuteshwara temple complex, The Trikuteshwara temple was built by the early Chalukyas between the sixth and the eighth centuries, exemplifying Chalukya architecture. The temple is dedicated to Saraswati, veeranarayana Temple, The temple, believed to have been built during the 11th century, attracts many devotees a year. Jumma Masjid, The Muslim Jumma Masjid has a capacity of 600, during the 17th and 18th centuries, Gadag was ruled by Muslim kings and the Maratha before being incorporated by the East India Company. Lakshmeshwara Lakshmeshwara is in Shirahatti, and is known for its Hindu, the Someshwara temple complex has a number of temples to Shiva in its fort-like compound. Sudi Chalukya monuments include the Jodi Gopura and Mallikarjuna temples and large Ganesha, Lakkundi About 12 kilometres from Gadag, Lakkundi was the residence of the Chalukyan kings. It is known for its 101 stepwells and its Hindu and Jain temples, a sculpture gallery is maintained by the Archaeological Survey of India. Dambal Dambal is known for its 12th-century Chalukya Doddabasappa Temple, Harti Harti has a number of Hindu temples. The Shri Basaveshwara Temple has a festival featuring a procession. Other temples, such as the Parvati Parameshwara temple, have stone carvings from the Chalukya period, kotumachagi About 22 kilometres from Gadag, the agricultural village is also known for its Someswar and Durgadevi temples. Chamarasa, author of the Prabhulingaleele, was born nearby, Ron Rons historic monuments include Anantsayee Gudi, Isvara Gudi, Isvara Temple, Kala Gudi, Lokanatha Temple, Mallikarjuna Gudi, Parsvanath Jain temple and the Somlingesvara temple. Kurtakoti About 16 kilometres from Gadag, the village is known for the Shri Ugra Narsimha, Dattatreya, Virupakhshalinga. Statues of Rama, Lakshmana and Sita were installed by Brahma Chaitanya, writer and critic Kirtinath Kurtakoti hailed from the area. The matha is cared for by both Muslims and Hindus, according to the 2011 census the district has a population of 1,065,235, roughly equal to that of Cyprus or the US state of Rhode Island. This ranks it 426th in India, the district has a population density of 229 inhabitants per square kilometre

21.
Hassan district
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Hassan is a district in Karnataka state, India. The place is called Hassan after the Goddess Haasanamba, the goddess, the history of Hassan district is essentially the history of two of the well known dynasties that have ruled Karnataka, the Western Ganga Dynasty of Talkad and the Hoysala Empire. In the 15th and 16th centuries, the Vijayanagar kings patronised Chennakesava of Belur as their family deity and it was also ruled by Adilshahis of Bijapur and Mughal Empire after decline of the Vijayanagar. In the 17th and 18th centuries, Hassan became a land of contention between the Keladi Nayakas of Shimoga and the Mysore Kingdom and it finally merged as an independent Mysore kingdom. Around 300 BCE Hassan was part of the Mauryan empire, sage Bhadrabahu arrived from north India in the 3rd century BCE along with many ascetics marking the arrival of Jainism into Karnataka. Later Hassan came under the rule of the Ganga Dynasty of Talkad, the Gangas initially ruled as a sovereign power from 350 -550 CE and later continued to rule this area as feudatories of Chalukyas and Rashtrakutas. In the late 10th century, many Jaina monuments were built at Shravanabelagola, some of them, including the fifty seven feet tall monolithic statue of Gomateshwara, was commissioned by Ganga general Chamundaraya. During the rule of the Gangas, Shravanabelagola was an important religious centre, the name of the town is derived from Shravana or Shramana, meaning a Jain ascetic, and Belagola or Biliya Kola in Kannada meaning white pond. Around 1000 CE, with their defeat at the hands of the Cholas. From that time onwards, till 1334 CE, Hoysalas ruled this region and after their decline, after the decline of the Vijayanagar empire, the area came under the rule of the Mysore Kingdom. Inscriptions in many of these temples speak volumes of the glory of a bygone era, the Hoysalas, who claim to be of the Kuruba/Yadava race stepped into the shoes of their predecessors, the Gangas after being feudatories of the Chalukyas of Kalyani from about 1000 -1150 CE. Vishnuvardhana who went by the name Bittideva was a Jaina but later changed his name having accepted Vaishnavism, the Hoysalas claim to immortality arises from their contribution to Kannada culture, Kannada literature and their own unique style of vesara architecture. In fact, the doorways, lathe turned pillars and pierced window screens used frequently by the Hoysalas is also commonly seen in earlier Kalyani Chalukya temples of north. During the 14th century, invasions by the Sultanate of Delhi weakened the Hoysala state, in the 15th and 16th centuries, the Vijayanagar kings patronised Chennakesava of Belur as their family deity. It was also ruled by Adilshahis of Bijapur and Mughal Empire after decline of the Vijayanagar, in the 17th and 18th centuries, Hassan became a land of contention between the Keladi Nayakas of Shimoga and the Mysore Kingdom. In 1648 the Mysore rulers built Channarayapatna fort by treaty with the sultans of Bijapur, a peace treaty was concluded between the Mysore and Keladi rulers in 1694. The district remained part of the Mysore Kingdom at the conclusion of the Fourth Anglo-Mysore War in 1799, Hassan District and its current boundaries date to the 1860s, when the Mysore Kingdom was organized into 8 districts, and the districts further divided into taluks. The district had a population of 518,987 in the 1871 census, a famine from 1876 to 1878 reduced the population to 428,344 by 1881

22.
Haveri district
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Haveri is a district in the state of Karnataka, India with the potential to become a tourist hub. As of 2001, it had a population of 1,439,116 of which 20. 78% were urban residents, Haveri District is exactly in the centre of Karnataka, being equidistant from Bidar in the far north and Kollegal in the far south. The district consists of seven taluks, namely Hanagal, Shiggaon, Savanur, Haveri, Byadagi, Hirekerur, before it was made into its own district, it was part of Dharwad District. Haveri is 335 km from Bangalore, Haveri is the administrative and political headquarters of the district, whereas Ranebennur in the south is a business hub. The important towns and villages in Haveri District are, Haveri, The districts administrative, culture and it is also famous for its cattle markets, oil mills and cotton markets. Haveri is also known for Haveri Nyaya, a method of settling the disputes. Famous for its lake and gardens, kumar Pattanam, Place of Birla industries on the bank of the river Tungabhadra. Bankapura, Notified as Bankapur Conservation Reserve offering a safe haven for peacocks, Ranebennur, Important trade centre in central Karnataka. Kaginele, Kaginele Kanaka Guru Peetha, a religious Math dedicated to sage Kanakadasa is present here, according to the 2011 census Haveri district has a population of 1,598,506, roughly equal to the nation of Guinea-Bissau or the US state of Idaho. This gives it a ranking of 312th in India, the district has a population density of 331 inhabitants per square kilometre. Its population growth rate over the decade 2001-2011 was 11. 08%, Haveri has a sex ratio of 951 females for every 1000 males, and a literacy rate of 77. 6%. Kanakadasa, Kanakadasa was born in Bada village which is situated in the district, pandith Panchaksari Gawaigalu, He was born in Kada Shettihalli Tq, Hangal Dist Haveri. Sarvajnya was born in Abaluru Tq, Hirekeruru, Dist, Havari, siddappa Hosamani Karajgi, a freedom fighter who resisted British rule is a native of Karajgi. He was a lawyer and a close associate of Subhas Chandra Bose. He was a state president, elected as a member of parliament. Statue was put in Haveri district place near the K. S. R. T. C bus stand on the NH4 Highway inaugurated by chief minister of Karnataka, gudleppa Hallikere, is another freedom fighter who is a native of Hosaritti. He started a residential school Gandhi Grameen Gurukul in Hosaritti, ramaanand Mannagi, Noted freedom fighter and a Gandhian. He started an aashram at Jangamanakoppa, five km from Haveri, art and literature Santa Shishunal Sharif, He was a great poet and philosopher of 19th century

23.
Kodagu district
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Kodagu is an administrative district in Karnataka, India. Before 1956 it was an administratively separate Coorg State, at which point it was merged into an enlarged Mysore State and it occupies an area of 4,102 square kilometres in the Western Ghats of southwestern Karnataka. In 2001 its population was 548,561,13. 74% of which resided in the urban centres. Agriculture is the most important factor that upholds the economy of Kodagu, Coorg is rich in natural resources which included timber and spices. Madikeri is the headquarters of Kodagu, Kodagu is known for its coffee and its people. The dominant group are the indigenous and other ethnic groups, the chief languages presently spoken in Kodagu are Kodava, Are Bhashe, Kannada, Tulu, Konkani and Urdu. Kodagu is home to the speakers of the Kodava language. Kodagu is located on the slopes of the Western Ghats. It has an area of 4,102 km2. It is a district, the lowest elevation of which is 120 metres above sea-level. The highest peak, Tadiandamol, rises to 1,750 metres, with Pushpagiri, the main river in Kodagu is the Kaveri, which originates at Talakaveri, located on the eastern side of the Western Ghats, and with its tributaries, drains the greater part of Kodagu. In July and August, rainfall is intense, and there are often showers into November, yearly rainfall may exceed 4,000 millimetres in some areas. In dense jungle tracts, rainfall reaches 3,000 to 3,800 millimetres and 1,500 to 2,500 millimetres in the district to the west. Kodagu has a temperature of 15 °C, ranging from 11 to 28 °C, with the highest temperatures occurring in April. The principal town, and district capital, is Madikeri, or Mercara, other significant towns include Virajpet, Kushalanagara, Somwarpet and Gonikoppal. The district is divided into the three talukas, Madikeri, Virajpet and Somwarpet. Virajpet is the largest Taluk and comprises the towns Virajpet, Gonikoppal, Siddapura, Ponnampet, the Kodavas were the earliest agriculturists in Kodagu, having lived there for centuries. Being a warrior community as well, they carried arms during times of war and had their own chieftains, the Haleri dynasty, an offshoot of the Keladi Nayakas, ruled Kodagu between 1600 and 1834

24.
Kolar district
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Kolar district is a district in the state of Karnataka, India. Located in southern Karnataka, it is the states easternmost district, on 10 September 2007, it was bifurcated to form the new district of Chikballapur. Due to the discovery of the Kolar Gold Fields, the district has become known as the Golden Land of India, Kolar, formerly known as Kolahala, Kuvalala and Kolala, was called Kolahalapura during the Middle Ages. In Kannada, kolahahapura means violent city and it was the battlefield for the warring Chalukyas in the north, in 1004 AD, the Cholas annexed Kolar until 1116. Vishnuvardhana freed Gangavadi from the Cholas and, to commemorate his victory, Kolaramma and Someshwara are notable temples in Kolar. The Kolaramma temple, built in Dravida Vimana style during the century, is dedicated to Shakti. It underwent renovations under Rajendra Chola I in the 10th century, someswara Temple is an example of 14th-century Vijayanagara art. Kolars early history was compiled by Fred Goodwill, superintendent of the Wesleyan Tamil mission in Bangalore and the Kolar Gold Fields, older than Bangalore, Kolar dates back to the second century. The Western Gangas made Kolar their capital, ruling Mysore, Coimbatore, Salem, during the 13th century Bhavanandi composed Nannool, his treatise on Tamil grammar. Under the Cholas, King Uttama Chola reportedly built the temple for Renuka, veera Chola, Vikrama Chola and Rajendra Chola I built stone structures with inscriptions at Avani, Mulbagal, Sitti Bettta and elsewhere. Chola inscriptions, which document the rule of Adithya Chola I, Raja Raja Chola I and Rajendra Chola I of Kolar, inscriptions from Rajendra Chola I also appear on the Kolaramma Temple. Chola rule of Kolar lasted until 1116, the inscriptions are neglected, and some have been vandalised. In 1117 Kolar became part of the Hoysala Empire, in 1254 it was bestowed to Ramanatha, the Hoysala were defeated by the Vijayanagara Empire, which ruled Kolar from 1336 to 1664. During this period, the Sri Someshwara Temple at Kolar was built, for 50 years in the 17th century Kolar was under Maratha rule as part of the Jagir of Shahaji, followed by 70 years of Muslim rule. In 1720 it became part of the Province of Sira, with Fateh Mohammed the provinces Faujdar, Kolar was then ruled by the Marathas, the Nawab of Cuddapah, the Nizam of Hyderabad and Hyder Ali. It was under British rule from 1768 to 1770 before a brief Maratha rule followed by Hyder Ali, in 1791 Lord Cornwallis conquered Kolar and returned it to the Kingdom of Mysore in the peace treaty of 1792. In the Kolar region, inscriptions document the reigns of the Mahavalis, the Pallavas, benjamin Lewis Rice recorded 1,347 inscriptions in the Kolar District, in the 10th volume of his Epigraphia Carnatica. Of the inscriptions,422 are in Tamil,211 in Telugu, Kolar district is in a semi-arid, drought-prone region and covers an area of 8,225 square kilometres

25.
Koppal district
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Koppal district is an administrative district in the state of Karnataka in India. In the past Koppal was referred to as Kopana Nagara, hampi, a World heritage center, covers some areas of Koppal District. It is situated approximately 38 km away, anegundi, is also a famous travel destination. Koppal, now a district headquarters is ancient Kopana a major place of the Jainas. Palkigundu is described as the Indrakila parvata of epic fame and there is an ancient Shiva temple called the Male Malleshwara, there are two Ashokan inscriptions at Palkigundu and Gavimatha. It was the capital of a branch of Shilaharas under the Chalukyas of Kalyan, in Shivajis times it was one of the eight prants or revenue divisions of Southern Maratha Country. During Indias First War of Independence Mundargi Bheema Rao and Hammige Kenchanagouda died fighting the British here in June 1858, kinhal 13 km away from Koppal is famous for its traditional colourful lacquerware work. 58% were urban as of 2001. The Koppal district was formed after split of Raichur district, Koppal district has following four talukas, Koppal, Gangavathi, Yelbarga, and Kushtagi. According to the 2011 census Koppal district has a population of 1,391,292 and this gives it a ranking of 350th in India. The district has a density of 250 inhabitants per square kilometre. Its population growth rate over the decade 2001-2011 was 16. 32%, Koppal has a sex ratio of 983 females for every 1000 males, and a literacy rate of 67. 28%. Most notable of the buildings dating from this period is the Mahadeva Temple at Itagi in the Yelabarga taluk. The Mahadeva temple at Itagi dedicated to Shiva is among the temples built by the Western Chalukyas. Inscriptions hail it as the Emperor among temples, here, the main temple, the sanctum of which has a linga, is surrounded by thirteen minor shrines, each with its own linga. The temple has two shrines, dedicated to Murthinarayana and Chandraleshwari, parents of Mahadeva, the Chalukya commander who consecrated the temple in 1112 CE. Soapstone is found in abundance in the regions of Haveri, Savanur, Byadgi, Motebennur, the great archaic sandstone building blocks used by the Badami Chalukyas were superseded with smaller blocks of soapstone and with smaller masonry. The first temple to be built from this material was the Amrtesvara Temple in Annigeri in the Dharwad district in 1050 CE and this building was to be the prototype for later, more articulated structures such as the Mahadeva Temple at Itagi. The 11th-century temple-building boom continued in the 12th century with the addition of new features, the Mahadeva Temple at Itagi and the Siddhesvara Temple in Haveri are standard constructions incorporating these developments

26.
Mandya district
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Mandya District is an administrative district of Karnataka, India. Mandya District is bordered on the south by Mysore District, on the west by Hassan District, on the north by Tumkur District, the district was formed in the year 1939. Mandya district is called as SAKKARE NADU because sugarcane is a crop grown here. So, they are called asSAKKARE NADINA AKKARE JANATHE, Mandya is the main town in Mandya District. As of 2011, the population was 1,808,680. Mandya district gets its name from the city of Mandya, which is also the headquarters of the district, Mandyas history is closely related to the history of the old Mysore State, which included the present district of Mandya and areas around the Cauvery Basin. Ruled successively by the kings of the Ganga dynasty and then the Cholas and the Hoysalas, after the cruel battle of 1565, when the Vijayanagara king was defeated by the combined power of the Sultans of the Deccan, the Vijayanagara Empire began to lose its power and extent. The Wodeyars of Mysore gradually grew in importance, the power of the Wodeyars was more or less unchallenged until 1761, when Hyder Ali, one of their generals, rose to great strength and overcame them. Between then and 1799 when Hyders son, Tipu, was defeated by the British, the dynastic rule of Wodeyars thereafter ended only with the establishment of democracy in free India. The area is plain except for a few outcrops of rocks that stand out as ridges, perhaps among Mandyas greatest assets are its four rivers, the Cauvery, Hemavati, Lokapavani and Shimsha that give the district both religious importance and scenic beauty. Although none of the rivers is navigable, they form picturesque waterfalls wherever the lay of the permits it. The small shrines on the riverbanks are testimony to the belief in India that rivers themselves are holy. Predictably, the factory became one of the biggest in India. Mandya town also contains the stately Janardhanaswami temple, whose principal deity holds the traditional Shanka, the temples gopura, recently renovated, adds to the aesthetics of the temple. The annual car festival is held in April–May every year, hydro-Electric power project at Shimsha established in 1940, generates about 17.2 MW electric power. Hydro electric power project at Keelara, Mandya Taluk, is commissioned, Mandya district is located between north latitude 12°13 to 13°04 N and east longitude 76°19 to 77°20 E. It is bounded by Mysore district to the west and southwest, Tumkur district to the northeast, Chamrajnagar district to the south, Hassan district to the northwest and it has an area of 4,961 square kilometres. The administrative center of Mandya District is Mandya City, Mandya District has five important rivers, Kaveri River and four tributaries main Hemavathi, Shimsha, Lokapavani, Veeravaishnavi

27.
Mysore district
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Mysore District is an administrative district located in the southern part of the state of Karnataka, India. It features many tourist destinations, from Mysore Palace to Nagarhole National Park and this district has a prominent place in the history of Karnataka, Mysore was ruled by the Wodeyars from the year 1399 till the independence of India in the year 1947. Mysores prominence can be gauged from the fact that the Karnataka state was known previously as Mysore state and it is the third most populous district in Karnataka, after Bangalore and Belgaum. Mysore district gets its name from the city of Mysore which is also the headquarters of the district, the original name of this city was Mahishapura derived from a demon named Mahishasura. A statue of Mahishasura, after whom the city is named, Talakad remained their regal capital till the end of Ganga rule in the early 11th century. Gangas ruled over a part of Mysore district, then known by the name of Gangavadi. In the end of the 8th century, the Rashtrakuta king Dhruva Dharavarsha defeated the Ganga king Shivamara II, Gangavadi came under the governorship of Kambarasa, the son of Dhruva Dharavarsha. Gangas who were overthrown from Gangavadi, had to till their king Nitimarga Ereganga won a victory against the Rashtrakutas at Rajaramudu. Seeing the increasing might of the Gangas, the Rashtrakuta King Amoghavarsha I gave his daughter Revakanimmadi in marriage to the son of Ereganga, Butuga II who became the ruler of Gangavadi, Gangas ruled over Gangavadi till the Ganga king, Rakkasa Ganga was defeated by the Cholas. In the year 1117, Vishnuvardhana, the king of Hoysala dynasty seized Gangavadi. To commemorate this achievement, Vishnuvardhana built the Keerthinarayana temple at Talakad, Gangavadi was ruled by the Hoysalas till the death of their last ruler, Veera Ballala III after which Gangavadi became a part of the Vijayanagar Empire. In 1399, Yaduraya established the Wodeyar dynasty at Mysore and it remained as a feudatory to the Vijayanagar Empire owing allegiance to the Vijayanagar kings and the Vijayanagar representative at Srirangapatna, till the fall of the Vijayanagar Empire in 1565 CE. In the vacuum that was created, Raja Wodeyar I established control and he defeated the Vijayanagar representative in a battle at Kesare near Mysore, shifted his capital from Mysore to Srirangapatna in 1610 AD. The Wodeyars continued to rule over Mysore till the reign of Krishnaraja Wodeyar II, though there were Wodeyar kings during the rule of Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan, they were mere figureheads. With the death of Tipu Sultan in 1799 under the hands of the British, the Wodeyars were reinstated to the throne of Mysore, prince Krishnaraja Wodeyar III who was just 5 years old was installed on the throne of Mysore in 1799. Wodeyars were the subsidiaries of the British Empire and had to pay annual subsidies, during the rule of Krishnaraja Wodeyar III, the British took the kingdom back from Wodeyars in 1831 under the pretext that the Wodeyar king did not pay the annual subsidy. Commissioners were appointed to rule over the Mysore kingdom, bowring were the prominent British Commissioners who ruled over Mysore. However, the Wodeyar kings raised a plea against this with the British Parliament who gave a ruling favour of the Wodeyars, in 1881, Chamaraja Wodeyar IX was given back the reins of the Mysore kingdom from the British

28.
Raichur district
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Raichur District is an administrative district in the Indian state of Karnataka. The district is bounded by the Krishna River on the north, the wedge of land between the rivers is known as the Raichur Doab, after the city of Raichur. Bijapur and Gulbarga districts lie to the north across the Krishna River, bagalkot and Koppal districts lie to the west. Across the Tungabhadra lies Bellary District of Karnataka to the southwest, kurnool District of Andhra Pradesh state lies to the east, and includes the lower portion of the Raichur-584102. The recorded history of the district is traced to as far back as the third century B. C, at that time, this region was under the governance of the Viceroy or Mahamatra of Ashoka. Early in the Christian era, the district appears to have been a part of the kingdom of the Satavahanas. The Vakatakas, who reigned during the 3rd and 4th centuries A. D. seem to have sway over Raichur for sometime. The next dynasty of importance, which ruled over this region, was that of the Chalukyas of Badami. According to an inscription from Aihole, Pulakeshin II having defeated the Pallavas, occupied this area, nripatunga, a Rashtrakuta king, has described Koppal in his Kannada work, Kavirajamarga, as the great Kopananagara. D. Another inscription from Maski describes the place as a capital and makes a reference to the reign of Jayasimha, the Haihayas and Sindas also seem to have ruled some parts of this region for sometime. Later, after the fall of the Chalukyas, Raichur passed into the hands of the Kalachuris of Kalyani, then came the Kakatiyas in the 13th century. D. At the instance of the latter, Raichur was sacked by Malik Kafur, was commander of Sultanate of Delhi in 1312. Raichur district was passed to Vijayanagara Empire in 1323 after demise of Kakatiyas due to invasions of Sultanate of Delhi and it was captured by Bahmani Sultanate in 1363. It was passed to Bijapur Sultanate in 1489 after fragmentation of Bahmanids, Vijayanagara recaptured it after Battle of Raichur in 1520 but Bijapur recaptured it in 1565 after Vijayanagaras defeat at hands of Deccan Sultanates during Battle of Talikota. Aurangzeb, emperor of Mughal Empire captured the district in 1686, finally 1724 Raichur became part of Nizam of Hyderabad between 1724 and 1948 except British Empire rule between 1853 and 1860 as part of Madras Presidency. During Nizam rule it was part of Gulbarga Division, after the Operation Polo, Nizam was forcibly integrated to Indian Union on 17 September 1948. Between 1948 and 1956, it was part of Hyderabad State, during division of the state on linguistic basis, it became part of Mysore State and later was renamed State of Karnataka. According to the 2011 census Raichur district has a population of 1,924,773 and this gives it a ranking of 246th in India

29.
Ramanagara district
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Ramanagara district is one of the 30 districts of Karnataka state in southern India. Ramanagara town is the headquarters of this district. The district is part of Bangalore Division, Ramanagara district was carved out of the erstwhile Bangalore Rural district on 23 August 2007, comprising Channapatna, Kanakapura, Ramanagara and Magadi taluks of the undivided district. Ramanagara is approximately 50 km southwest of Bangalore and it has an average elevation of 747 metres. Ramanagara is famous for the rocky outcroppings. Those that are popular for climbing are, Savandurga, Ramadevarabetta, SRS betta and Thenginkalbetta. According to the 2011 census Ramanagara district has a population of 1,082,739 and this gives it a ranking of 421st in India. The district has a density of 303 inhabitants per square kilometre. Its population growth rate over the decade 2001-2011 was 5. 06%, Ramanagara has a sex ratio of 976 females for every 1000 males, and a literacy rate of 69. 2%. Ramanagara is famous for its market, one of the biggest in India. Ramanagara district includes the Bidadi industrial area, which houses the units of Toyota and Coca-Cola. This region has several tall granitic hills which are famous for short rock climbs. Grades vary from 5.8 American to 5.11 American and it is home to some of the worlds oldest granite outcrops. Some of the climbs are on the Wanakkal wall, on the Rainbow wall. Another well known hill is Ramadevarabetta, along with Savandurga this was one of the shooting locations for David Leans A Passage to India. Small door like grottoes were made in the rock to resemble caves and it was also in this region that the path-breaking Hindi movie, Sholay, was shot. Other famous hills in the include the Revanasideshwara hill and Handigundi. These hills have been threatened by quarrying and also plans to carve these hills into statues, the region is covered in scrub forest and is home to threatened bird species such as the yellow-throated bulbul and long-billed vultures

30.
Shimoga district
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Shivamogga district is a district in the Karnataka state of India. A major part of Shimoga district lies in the Malnad region of the Western Ghats, Shivamogga city is its administrative centre. Jog Falls is a major tourist attraction, as of 2011 Shimoga district has a population of 1,755,512. There are seven taluks, Bhadravathi, Hosanagara, Sagara, Shimoga, Shikaripura, Soraba, Shivamogga was previously known as Mandli. There are legends about how the name Shivamogga has evolved, according to one, the name Shivamogga is related to the Hindu God Shiva. Shiva-Mukha, Shivana-Moogu or Shivana-Mogge can be the origins of the name Shivamogga, another legend indicates that the name Shimoga is derived from the word Sihi-Moge which means sweet pot. According to this legend, Shimoga once had the ashram of the sage Durvasa and he used to boil sweet herbs in an earthen pot. Some cowherds, found this pot and after tasting the sweet beverage named this place Sihi-Moge, during Treta yuga, Lord Rama killed Maricha, who was in the disguise of a deer at Mrugavadhe near Thirthahalli. The Shimoga region formed a part of the Mauryan empire during the 3rd century, the district came into the control of Satavahanas. The Satakarni inscription has been found in the Shikaripur taluk, after the fall of the Shatavahana empire around 200 CE, the area came under the control of the Kadambas of Banavasi around 345 CE. The Kadambas were the earliest kingdom to give status to the Kannada language. Later the Kadambas became feudatories of the Badami Chalukyas around 540 CE, in the 8th century Rashtrakutas ruled this district. The Kalyani Chalukyas overthrew the Rashtrakutas, and the district came into their rule, Balligavi was a prominent city during their rule. In the 12th century, with the weakening of the Kalyani Chalukyas, after the fall of the Hoysalas, the entire region came under the Vijayanagar Empire. Shimoga district is a part of the region of Karnataka and is also known as the Gateway to Malnad or Malenaada Hebbagilu in Kannada. The district is landlocked and bounded by Haveri, Davanagere, Chikmagalur, Udupi, the district ranks 9th in terms of the total area among the districts of Karnataka. It is spread over an area of 8465 km2, Shimoga lies between the latitudes 13°27 and 14°39 N and between the longitudes 74°38 and 76°04 E at a mean altitude of 640 metres above sea level. The peak Kodachadri hill at an altitude of 1343 metres above sea level is the highest point in this district, rivers Kali, Gangavati, Sharavati and Tadadi originate in this district

31.
Tumakuru district
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Tumkur District is an administrative district in the state of Karnataka in India. It was formerly the part of old Mysore State, in the year 1862 Chitaldroog division was abolished and Tumkur and Chitradurga established as separate districts by Lewin Bentham Bowring. The district headquarters are located at Tumkur, the district occupies an area of 10,598 km² and had a population of 2,584,711, of which 19. 62% were urban as of 2001. It is a drive from Bangalore, the capital of Karnataka. The district is known for the production of coconuts. It is the only district in Karnataka. It consists chiefly of elevated land intersected by river valleys, a range of hills rising to nearly 4,000 feet crosses it from north to south, forming the watershed between the systems of the Krishna and the Kaveri. The principal streams are the Jayamangala and the Shimsha, the mineral wealth of Tumakuru is considerable, iron is obtained in large quantities from the hillsides, and excellent building-stone is quarried. The slopes of the Devarayanadurga hills are clothed with forests, wildlife such as leopards, bears and wild boar have been recorded here. Although, tigers have been recorded from these forests as late as the 1950s, most recent reports are of stray sightings, the annual rainfall averages 39 inches. According to the 2011 census Tumakuru district has a population of 2,678,980, according to this census,24,13,812 are Hindus,2,45,923 are Muslims 9130 are Christians,5067 are Jains. This gives it a ranking of 150th in India, the district ranked 4th place in terms of population in Karnataka after Bengaluru, Belgaum and Mysore. The district has a density of 253 per square km. Its population growth rate over the decade 2001-2011 was 3. 74%, Tumakuru has a sex ratio of 984 females for every 1000 males, and a literacy rate of 75. 14%. The known history of the Tumkur district begins with the Gangas, the Ganga family ruled over the southern and eastern districts of the State from early in the Christian era to 1025 A. D. The earliest record of the Ganga family found in this district belongs to about 400 A. D, after the Gangas, Tumkur was ruled by the Rastrakutas and the Chalukyas. The Nolambas under these rulers ruled the area for a long time, the cholas also ruled some parts of the district. The Vijayanagara Empire ruled supreme for the part of the 13th to 17th century. During the 18th and 19th century, Tumkur was ruled by the Wodeyars of Mysore until Independence, the Tumkur Town Municipality was set up by the British and Mysore Wodeyars in the 1920s

32.
Udupi district
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Udupi district in the Karnataka state of India was created in August 1997. The three northern taluks, Udupi, Kundapur and Karkala, were separated from Dakshina Kannada District to form Udupi district, Udupi district is surrounded by Uttara Kannada district in north, Dakshina Kannada district in southern direction. Shivamogga district borders on north east side and Chikkamagaluru district on east, Arabian sea is on west of Udupi district. Udupi is famous for Udupi cuisine originated in the district as well as at Ashta Matha, i. e. eight Matts, Sri Krishna Temple, Udupi is also one of oldest Educational Centres. Yakshagana, the drama and dance folk art is highly developed, the administrative headquarters of Udupi district is Udupi town. Population as per Census 2001 was 1,112,243 of which 18. 55% were urban, according to the 2011 census Udupi district has a population of 1,177,908, roughly equal to the nation of Timor-Leste or the US state of Rhode Island. This gives it a ranking of 403rd in India, the district has a population density of 304 inhabitants per square kilometre. Its population growth rate over the decade 2001-2011 was 5. 9%, Udupi has a sex ratio of 1093 females for every 1000 males, and a literacy rate of 86. 29%. Udupi district is bound by Arabian sea in west and Western Ghats in the east, land nearer to the sea is plain with small hills and paddy fields, coconut plantations etc. Kudremukh national park begins 16 km away from Karkala near Mala, the area surrounding Kollur is also thickly forested and villages are located in between forest area. Some parts of Kundapura and Karkala taluk are covered with forests, the district harbours rare species of flora and fauna. Tiger, leopard, spectacled cobra, vipers, King Cobra, deer, flora include rose wood, teak wood, cashew, mango trees. Udupi was created out of the Dakshina Kannada district in the year August 1997, Udupi district consists of three taluks, Udupi, Karkala, Kundapura, Byndoor, Brahmavara and Kaup. Karnataka Legislative Assembly constituencies in Udupi district are, Kaup, Kundapura, Karkala, Byndoor, Brahmavara assembly constituency has now been merged with Udupi and Kundapura constituencies. Udupi, Karkala, Kaup and Kundapura assembly segments are now part of the Udupi-Chickmagalur parliamentary constituency and these changes took place during Loksabha general elections held in 2009. Udupi also tops the 10th and 12th standard exams held every year by the Karnataka State Education Board, Udupi district is home to internationally renowned educational institutions. The Manipal University Manipal Academy of Higher Education runs schools, colleges and institutes of higher learning, similarly, the Nitte University, located at Nitte, heads a large number of educational institutions. The Udupi district was once thriving rice and coconut producer, also one can find arecanut gardens here and there

33.
Uttara Kannada
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Uttara Kannada is a district in the Indian state of Karnataka. The city of Karwar is the headquarters of the district. Sirsi, Dandeli and Bhatkal are the major developing towns of the district. Uttara Kannada was the home of the Kadamba kingdom from the 350 to 525, after the subjugation of the Kadambas by the Chalukyas, the district came under successive rule of empires like Chalukyas, Rashtrakutas, Hoysalas and Vijayanagar empire. Famous Moroccan traveler Ibn Battuta is said to have stayed for a time in the district under the protection of Nawayath Sultan Jamal Al-Din at Hunnur and this place is presently known as Hosapattana and is located in the town of Honnavar. Ruins of an old mosque and its minaret can still be seen in the village, the district came under the rule of Maratha Empire in the 1750s and later part of Mysore Kingdom, who ceded it to the British at the conclusion of the Fourth Mysore War in 1799. It was initilally part of Kanara district in Madras Presidency, the district was divided to North and South Kanara districts in 1859. The British finally transferred Uttara Kannada district to Bombay Presidency in 1862, after Indias independence in 1947, Bombay Presidency was reconstituted as Bombay State. In 1956 the southern portion of Bombay State was added to Mysore State, Uttara Kannada was an ancient site of sea trade visited by the Arabs, Dutch, Portuguese, French and later the British. Ibn Battuta passed through this route during one or more of his journeys, the renowned Bengali poet and Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore, who visited Uttara Kannada in 1882, dedicated an entire chapter of his memoirs to this town. The 22-year-old Rabindranath Tagore stayed with his brother, Satyendranath Tagore, there is a substantial amount of Chardo families in this area as they had migrated due to the persecution of the Portuguese in Goa. Cintacora, also known as Chitrakul and Sindpur, was known to the Portuguese as an old port. PCr7 is from karwar. When Sadashivgad was built in area, the village also came to be known by that name. Pir fort, named for the Dargah of Shahkaramuddin, was captured, the creek at the mouth of the Kali River was a trading center which came into greater prominence after Sadashivgad was built and the Portuguese realised the advantages of its sheltered harbor. In 1638 a rival English trading body, the Courteen Association and it was a trade port frequented by traders from Arabia and Africa. Baitkhol port was famous for its natural harbour, the name Baithkhol is Arabic term, Bait-e-kol, meaning bay of safety. Muslin was the chief commodity purchased but Uttara Kannada was also a source for pepper, cardamom, cassia, situated on Indias west coast,50 miles south-east of Goa, Uttara Kannada was noted for its safe harbour. In 1649 the Courteen Association united with the British East India Company, in the Treaty of Mangalore signed in 1784, between Tipu Sultan and the East India Company, one finds reference to Uttara Kannada and Sadashivgad written as Karwar and Sadasewgude respectively

34.
Yadgir district
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Yadgir District is one of the 30 districts of Karnataka state in southern India. This district was carved out from the erstwhile Gulbarga district as the 30th district of Karnataka on 10 April 2010, Yadgir town is the administrative headquarters of the district. The district occupies an area of 5,160.88 km², official website www. yadgir. nic. in Local blog www. nammayadgir. in The district comprises three taluks, Shahpur, Surpur and Yadgir. The district has 16 hoblies,117 Gram Panchayets,519 villages, Yadgir, popularly called as Yadavagiri by the local people, was once a capital of the Yadava Kingdom. It has a historical and cultural traditions. Yadavas, chose Yadgir to be their capital and ruled from here from 1347 to 1425 AD, Yadgir district has its deep roots in history. The famous dynasties of the south, the Satavahans, the Chalukyas of Badami, the Rastrkuta, Shahis, the Aidil shahis, in 1504 Yadgir was permanently annexed to Adil Shahi kingdom of Bijapur. In 1657 with the invasion of Mir Jumla it passed into the hands of Mughals, later with the establishment of Asaf Jahi Dynasty of Hyderabad Yadgir and Gulbarga came under it. In 1863 when Nizam Government formed Jillabandi, Surpur became district headquarters, in 1873 Gulbarga was formed into Separate district with seven taluks. With reorganization of states in 1956 Gulbarga became Part of Karnataka State, the Bahamani rulers built Gulbarga city with Palaces, Mosques, Gumbazs, Bazaars and other public buildings. There are five large and small Marques and three score and ten Darghas in Gulbarga. The City is described as a Garden of Gumbazs So also number of Temples, churches, in side the fort the Jumma Masjid, a noteworthy monument of Gulbarga is in well preserved condition. It is said that it resembles the famous mosque of ‘Cordova’ city in Spain, the Masjid measuring 216 ft. east-west and 176 ft north south covering an area of 38016 sq ft. Happens to be the only mosque in India, which is completely covered. Fergusson observes this as one of the most remarkable of its class in India in some respect unique, Yadgir district is the second smallest district in the state, area wise is very rich in cultural traditions. The vast stretch of black soil of the district is known for bumper red gram. The district is a Daal bowl of the state, the district is also known for cluster of cement industries and a distinct stone popularly known as Malakheda Stone. Two main rivers, Krishna and Bhima, and a few tributaries flow in this region, the upper Krishna project and Shahapur Taluka in Bendebembali Core Green Sugar Factory yet to be started. Yadgir which is known the cement, textile, leather, the Agriculture College located in Bheemarayana Gudi

35.
Government of Karnataka
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The Government of Karnataka is a democratically elected body with the governor as the constitutional head. The governor who is appointed for five years appoints the chief minister, Karnataka State has been divided into four revenue divisions,49 sub-divisions,30 districts,176 taluks and 747 hoblies/revenue circles and 5628 gram panchayats for administrative purposes. The state has 281 towns and 7 municipal corporations, Bangalore is the fifth largest urban agglomeration out of 23 metropolis, urban agglomerations and cities in India. It is among the fastest growing cities in the world, Karnataka took its present shape in 1956, when the states of Mysore and Coorg were merged with the Kannada-speaking districts of the former states of Bombay and Hyderabad, and Madras. The state legislature is bicameral and consists of the Legislative Assembly, the Legislative Assembly consists of 224 members with one member nominated by the governor to represent the Anglo-Indian community. The term of office of the members is five years and the term of an elected to the council is six years. The Legislative Council is a permanent body with one-third of its members retiring every two years, the government is headed by the governor who appoints the chief minister and his council of ministers. The governor is appointed for five years and acts as the head of the state. The secretariat headed by the secretary to the governor assists the council of ministers, the council of ministers consists of cabinet ministers, ministers of state and deputy ministers. The chief minister is assisted by the secretary, who is the head of the administrative services. As of 2012, the Government of Karnataka consists of 30 ministers, the present Chief Minister of Karnataka is Siddaramaiah. List of Chief Ministers of Karnataka |- Housing M. Krishnappa is a system in the state with elected bodies at the village, taluk. It ensures greater participation of people and more implementation of rural development programmes. There will be a Grama Panchayat for a village or group of villages, a taluk level, all the three institutions will have elected representatives and there is no provision for nomination by the government to any of these councils. S the first in the country to enact new Panchayat Raj Act incorporating all provisions of 73rd Amendment to the Constitution, in 2014 Karantaka State Grama Panchayats Delimitation committee constituted By govt. of Karnataka. Chairmen S G Nanjaiahna mutt and 6 members, joint secretory of the committee Dr. Revaiah Odeyar. This report implemented 2015 Gram Panchayath Elections, a district of an Indian state is an administrat, headed by a deputy commissioner or district magistrate, an officer belonging to the Indian Administrative Service. The district magistrate or the deputy commissioner is assisted by a number of officers belonging to Karnataka Civil Service, a Deputy Commissioner of Police, an officer belonging to the Indian Police Service is entrusted with the responsibility of maintaining law and order and related issues of the district

36.
Vajubhai Vala
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Vajubhai Rudabhai Vala is an Indian politician. And the incumbent Governor of Karnataka, a state of India and he served as the Speaker of the Gujarat Legislative Assembly from 2012 to 2014. He was a member of Bharatiya Janata Party and he served as a Cabinet Minister in the Government of Gujarat, holding various portfolios, such as Finance, Labour and Employment, from 1997 to 2012. He was elected to Gujarat Legislative Assembly from Rajkot West constituency multiple times and he started his career as he joined Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and subsequently joined Jan Sangh in 1971. He was jailed for months during the emergency in 1975. He was the Mayor of Rajkot in the 1980s, later he contested state assembly elections from Rajkot and served as the Cabinet Minister holding finance, revenue portfolios from 1998 to 2012. He was the minister for two terms. He hold the record of presenting budget in Gujarat Legislative Assembly 18 times as the finance minister and he was elected as the Speaker of assembly in December 2012 and served till August 2014. He was appointed as the Governor of Karnataka in September 2014 and he has 2 daughters,2 sons, and 5 grandchildren

37.
Chief Ministers of Karnataka
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The Chief Minister of Karnataka is the chief executive of the south Indian state of Karnataka. As per the Constitution of India, the governor is a de jure head. Following elections to the Karnataka Legislative Assembly, the governor usually invites the party with a majority of seats to form the government. The governor appoints the chief minister, whose council of ministers are responsible to the assembly. Given that he has the confidence of the assembly, the chief ministers term is for five years and is subject to no term limits, since 1947, twenty-two people have been Chief Minister of Mysore and Karnataka. A majority of them belonged to the Indian National Congress party, the longest-serving chief minister, D. Devaraj Urs, held the office for over seven years in the 1970s. As a Janata Party member, Ramakrishna Hegde served the most number of discontinuous terms, while the Congresss Veerendra Patil had the largest gap between two terms. One chief minister, H. D. Deve Gowda, went on to become the eleventh Prime Minister of India, while another, B. D. Jatti, there have been six instances of Presidents rule in Karnataka, most recently in 2007–08. The incumbent chief minister is the Congress partys Siddaramaiah, who was sworn in on 13 May 2013, list of Diwans of Mysore Footnotes References

38.
H. D. Kumaraswamy
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Haradanahalli Devegowda Kumaraswamy is an Indian politician who was the 18th Chief Minister of Karnataka, a state in southern India, from 2006 to 2007. His father is a former Prime Minister of India, H. D. Deve Gowda, popularly known as KumarAnna among his friends and followers, he is also film producer, distributor and exhibitor in the Kannada films. He is President of Karnataka State Janata Dal, Kumaraswamy was born in Haradanahalli, Holenarasipura Taluk, Hassan District, Karnataka to H. D. Deve Gowda and Chennamma. He finished his school studies in Bangalores MES Educational Institution in Jayanagar. He completed his PUC from Vijaya College and earned his B. Sc. from National College in Jayanagar and he married Anita on 13 March 1986, at Palace Grounds, Bangalore. They have a son, Nikhil Gowda and he is also married to actress Radhika which she revealed in 2010, that that they married in 2006, and that they have a daughter together, Shamika. Kumaraswamy entered politics by winning from Kanakapura in the 1996 general elections and he sought re-election from Kanakapura in 1998 and lost. He again contested unsuccessfully for a Sathanur assembly seat in 1999, in 2004, he was elected to represent the Ramanagara assembly segment. Known for his adaptability and friendly nature, Dharam Singh of the Congress was the choice of both parties to head the government. He was sworn in as Chief Minister on 28 May 2004, forty-two MLAs of Janata Dal under Kumaraswamys leadership left the coalition and the government collapsed. On 28 January 2006, Karnataka Governor T. N. Chaturvedi invited Kumaraswamy to form the government in the state after the resignation of the Congress Government led by Dharam Singh and he was Chief Minister of Karnataka from 4 February 2006 to 9 October 2007. However, on 4 October 2007, he refused to transfer power to the BJP, finally, on 8 October 2007, he tendered his resignation to Governor Rameshwar Thakur, and the state was put under Presidents rule two days later. However, he reconciled later and decided to support to the BJP. BJPs B. S. Yeddyurappa was sworn in as the Chief Minister of Karnataka on 12 November 2007, after the untimely demise of Karnataka state JD President Merajuddin Patel, he was elected unopposed as President of the state unit. However, party cadres succeeded in convincing him not to quit as leader of opposition in the Karnataka Assembly, in September 2013, A. Krishnappa was selected as Janata Dal-Seculars president for Karnataka, filling the vacancy left by Kumaraswamy. In November 2014 Kumaraswamy was elected as Karnataka state Janata Dal President, thoughKumaraswamy was the son of H. D. Deve Gowda, a politician in Karnataka and former Prime Minister of India, he was not interested in politics initially. He was very much into film-making and distribution and he has produced several successful Kannada films. Among which, the film Chandra Chakori was a huge hit and he is a great fan of Kannada actor thespian Rajkumar, and that attracted him into the film industry

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Janata Dal (Secular)
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The Janata Dal, is an Indian political party led by former Prime Minister of India, H. D. Deve Gowda. The party is recognized as a party in the states of Karnataka. It was formed in July 1999 by the split of Janata Dal party and it has a political presence mainly in Karnataka. In Kerala, the party is part of the Left Democratic Front, the Janata Dal, formed in 1999, had its origins in the Janata Party, founded in 1977 as a coalition of several smaller parties that combined forces to oppose the Indian National Congress. In 1988 the Janata Party and other parties merged to form the Janata Dal. In 1996, Janata Dal party reached its pinnacle when H. D. Deve Gowda became Prime Minister of India, heading the United Front coalition government. The Janata Dal split in 1999, when a faction led by Chief Minister J. H. Patel lent support to the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance leading to the formation of Janata Dal under H. D. Deve Gowda. The Sharad Yadav faction of the Janata Dal, the Lok Shakti, even though the premise for the split was its opposition to allying with the National Democratic Alliance, H. D. Deve Gowda stayed equally away from the Indian National Congress from the outset, JD in Karnataka state for a time governed in a coalition with the Indian National Congress party, the first coalition government in Karnataka. There was much controversy over the JD allying with the INC in Bangalore as the INC formerly had a majority and was diminished to second place with the BJP having a plurality. However, the JD considered INC to be the lesser of the two evils on account of its secular and center left credentials. The 2004 elections in Karnataka witnessed the revival of the fortunes with JD becoming part of the ruling coalition in the state. Subsequently, party leader H. D. Kumaraswamy headed a coalition government in the state for 20 months with support from the BJP. In the 2014 general election, the JD-S gave support to the Social Democratic Party of India in Dakshin Kannada, H. D. Deve Gowda, President of Janata Dal, former Prime Minister of India and Former Chief Minister of Karnataka. N. M. Joseph, Vice President of Janata Dal. H. D. Kumaraswamy, former Chief Minister of Karnataka, Deve Gowda and Karnataka State President of Janata Dal. S. Bangarappa, Former Chief Minister of Karnataka, neelalohithadasan Nadar, Kerala State President of Janata Dal H. D. Revanna, Son of H. D. DeveGowda Mathew T. Thomas, former Kerala State President of Janata Dal, K. Krishnankutty, Kerala state president H. D. Kumaraswamy -3 February 2006 to 9 October 2007 List of political parties in India. List of recognised political parties in India

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Dr. G. Parameshwara
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Dr. G. Parameshwara is an Indian Politician, Current Home Minister of Karnataka and who is also President of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee since 27th October 2010. G. Parameshwaras father was a member of Karnataka Legislative Council, H. M. Gangadharaiah and he grew up in Gollahalli which is now known as Siddharthanagar. His primary education was at Gollahalii and Heggere, Tumkur and he went to Sri Siddhartha High School at Golahalli, which was established by his father. He joined Government Pre University College in Tumkur, after completing his pre-university education he went to study B. Sc. Agriculture in University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore, Bangalore then M. Sc and he joined the National Cadet Corps at an early age. He was an athlete and would participate in college events representing Gandhi Krushi Vignana Kendra. He has been elected to the Assembly four times, in 1989,1999, and 2004 he represented Madhugiri,2008 he represented Koratagere. He was appointed as the President of Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee replacing R. V. Deshapande, - Chairman Board of Management Sri Siddhartha Academy of Higher Education, Tumkur

41.
Indian National Congress
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The Indian National Congress is one of two major political parties in India, the other being the Bharatiya Janata Party. Congress was founded in 1885 during the British Raj, its founders include Allan Octavian Hume, Dadabhai Naoroji, there have been seven Congress Prime Ministers, the first being Jawaharlal Nehru, and the most recent Manmohan Singh. The partys social liberal platform is considered to be on the centre-left of Indian politics. From 2004 to 2014, the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance, a coalition of regional parties. As of March 2017, the party is in power in five states, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Meghalaya, in Bihar, it is a part of the ruling coalition. The Congress has previously directly ruled Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, in the 2014 general election, the Congress had its poorest post-independence general election performance, winning only 44 seats of the 543-member house. The party primarily endorses social liberalism—seeking to balance individual liberty and social justice, the Congress was founded in 1885 by Indian and British members of the Theosophical Society movement, including Scotsman Allan Octavian Hume. It has been suggested that the idea was conceived in a meeting of 17 men after a Theosophical Convention held in Madras in December 1884. Hume took the initiative, and in March 1885 the first notice convening the first Indian National Union to meet in Poona the following December was issued. Its objective was to obtain a share in government for educated Indians and to create a platform for civic. The first meeting was scheduled to be held in Poona, Hume organised the first meeting in Bombay with the approval of the Viceroy Lord Dufferin. Womesh Chandra Bonnerjee was the first president of the Congress, the first session was held from 28–31 December 1885, representing each province of India, the Partys delegates comprised 54 Hindus and 2 Muslims, the rest were of Parsi and Jain backgrounds. It also included Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Bipin Chandra Pal, Lala Lajpat Rai, Gopal Krishna Gokhale and Mohammed Ali Jinnah—later leader of the Muslim League and instrumental in the creation of Pakistan. The Congress was transformed into a movement by Surendranath Banerjea and Sir Henry Cotton during the partition of Bengal in 1905. Mahatma Gandhi returned from South Africa in 1915, in 1923 following the deaths of policemen at Chauri Chaura, Gandhi suspended the agitation. In protest, a number of leaders, Chittaranjan Das, Annie Besant, the Khilafat movement collapsed and the Congress was split. Although its members were predominantly Hindu, it had members from other religions, economic classes, at the Congress 1929 Lahore session under the presidency of Jawaharlal Nehru, Purna Swaraj was declared as the partys goal, declaring 26 January 1930 as Purna Swaraj Diwas, Independence Day. The same year, Srinivas Iyenger was expelled from the party for demanding full independence, the British government allowed provincial elections in India in the winter of 1936–37 under the Government of India Act 1935

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Karnataka Legislative Assembly
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The Karnataka Legislative Assembly is the lower house of the bicameral legislature of Karnataka state in southern India. Karnataka is one of the seven states in India, where the legislature is bicameral. The two houses are the Vidhana Sabha and the Vidhana Parishat, the members of the Vidhana Sabha are directly elected by people through adult franchise. The members of the Vidhana Parishat are elected indirectly by members of bodies, teachers. There are 75 members of the Vidhana Parishat, members of the Vidhana Parishat or Legislative Council normally have a term of six years, and are generally known as MLCs. There are 224 members of the Vidhana Sabha or the Legislative Assembly of Karnataka state, one member is a representative of the Anglo-Indian community nominated by the Governor of Karnataka. The state of Karnataka is divided into 225 constituencies used to elect the Legislative assembly, each constituency elects one member of the assembly. Members are popularly known as MLAs, the assembly is elected using the simple plurality or first past the post electoral system. The elections are conducted by the Election Commission of India, the normal term of the members lasts for five years. In case of death, resignation or disqualification of a member, the party which wins the most seats becomes the ruling party. In the 2013 elections, the Indian National Congress won a majority of seats, on 10 May 2013, K. Siddaramaiah was chosen as Chief Minister and CLP leader by the MLAs. He was sworn in on 13 May 2013, presidents rule in the state At 11, 00am on 18 June 1952, Wednesday, the first session of the legislative assembly was held at the old public office building conference hall in Bangalore. On December 16,1949 the maharaja of Mysore dissolved the representative assembly, the constituent assembly which was constituted in 1947 became the provisional assembly of Mysore until the elections were held in 1952. The first assembly formed under the Constitution had 99 elected and one nominated member, in the first sitting of the assembly, V. Venkatappa was the honorary speaker who administered oath to the members including the then Chief Minister Kengal Hanumanthaiah. The first sitting of the new assembly was held on December 19,1956 in the newly built Vidhana Soudha, the strength of the assembly, which was 208 in 1957 increased to 216 in 1967 and to 224 plus a nominated member in 1978. The lone women Speaker of Karnataka assembly was K. S, Vidhana Souda Government of Karnataka List of Speakers of the Karnataka Legislature List of Chief Ministers of Karnataka Karnataka Legislative Council